Reverse
by Alcoholic Pikachu
Summary: In a world scarred by darkness and violence, Ash 'Red' Ketchum starts his journey as a Pokémon Trainer, accompanied- not by the bold, loyal Bulbasaur, nor by the cool, confident Squirtle- but by a timid, naive Charmander. How will they fare against the rising threat of Team Rocket? Will they be able to claim the coveted title of Champion? Only time can tell...
1. Bright Red

**Reverse- Chapter 1: Bright Red.**

**A/N: Hey there, guys! How's it going?**

**It's your man, Alcoholic Pikachu, though you may also know me as Wildfurion- depending on which account you follow. So, I've been writing a few sketches for Pokémon during this one week Med School gave me as 'vacation', and have finally come up with a planned, organized story.**

**To make things simple, I wanted to make a story that differed from the usual Red/Charmander topic by giving the Pokémon some…life. After trying again and again, I managed to come up with a good plan- so I just pumped all my energy into writing.**

**Took me about four days to write this first chapter, plus one or two to review it for any mistakes/ flaws. I have the first chapters all planned, so there won't be all that confusion there was in Ascension.**

**Oh, and I'll also be publishing in this account because…you know, I didn't want to keep it as a ghost and all.**

**That's it for now, I guess. Hope you enjoy this!**

**Alcoholic Pikachu**

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"_**Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."- Sun Tzu.**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, nor any of the characters used in this fanfic._

_Reverse- Chapter 1: Bright Red._

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**Pallet Town, Kanto.**

In his most humble opinion, there was no such feeling in this vast world, that could even compare to that of riding a fine steed.

Tightening his grip on the leather reins till his fingers turned white, Ash 'Red' Ketchum couldn't hold a smirk from forming on his lips as Rose galloped through the suave, grassy hills of Professor Oak's ranch. Even with wind whistling on his ears, the teenager could hear the Ponyta's excited neighs- which combined with Arcanine's barking to form one great cacophony- as the trio guided the small Tauros herd to their new pasture area.

Beads of sweat dripped from his short coal colored hair, in one of his body's many failed attempts to fight off the heat of the Fire type's mane. Despite that, Ketchum could say he felt extremely comfortable on the saddle- almost as if he were born for it, in fact- even as he guided the group of large, and potentially aggressive, bovines. "Come on, girl! Just a little bit more!"

A single tap of his heels, and Rose jumped over the wooden fence with the grace only her species had. At the same time, Arcanine- one of the members of Professor Oak's original team- pushed the massive portress open just in time for the herd to flood in the pasture, with its alpha on the lead. "Can you take it from here, Arcanine?"

The massive fire type barked back in agreement, the sound sending a shiver up Ash's spine. 'I wonder how something this affectionate, can be scary at times…' in the end, he shrugged. 'Maybe it's just how nature works?'

"You did great today, Rose. Thanks!" Ash stated with a grin, as he affectionately petted the equine's muscular neck. The Ponyta happily neighed in agreement, before breaking into a calm trot. "I'll make sure to get you an extra portion of carrots when we get to the lab."

Needless to say, Rose was more than happy to hear that- as her cheerful cry made clear. As obligatory herbivores, wild Ponyta usually fed on grass and, occasionally, berries in the vast grasslands they usually chose as lair. In the Professor's ranch, however, their diet was a bit richer: besides the usual hay and berries, the Ponyta living there ate the occasional snack, such as apples and fresh carrots.

"Don't get used to it, though. This is my last day here!" The boy replied with a teasing grin, gently guiding the Fire type so they were now heading back to the Professor's lab- the largest building in the entire Pallet. "Today's the day I get my starter, after all!"

To say he'd been waiting for this moment would be a huge understatement.

While winning the Pokémon League had not been his dream until very recently- in fact, Ash had always thought he'd become a Pokémon Ranger or Professor- the boy had to admit the prospect was quite the thrill. While his work as one of the Professor's apprentices was far from boring, the Indigo League was in a whole other level of awesome.

Besides, he was practically itching for a chance to battle the current Champion of both Kanto and Johto, the Dragon Master; the fierce, confident Lance Wataru. Ever since he overthrew the previous Champion, _Satoshi_, Lance has been considered to be the strongest trainer in the whole world, having gained both this, and the Dragon Master titles from his former teacher, Drake.

He was a role model Ash could look up to. 'One day, hopefully, one day…'

"Hey there, Ashy-boy~"

Broken off his Champion fantasies by a soft, feminine voice, Ash Ketchum looks up to meet the dark eyes of his childhood friend, Leaf Green- who's sitting on one of the lower branches of a lone, Rawst berry tree.

Short, slender and having long, straight light brown hair that falls almost to her mid-back, she's a blooming beauty at her young age of fifteen. Her skin is paler than his- mostly because Ash spent several hours working under a scorching sun- and contrasted deeply with her eyes, which reminded him of Onix- not the Pokémon, mind you, but the precious gem.

Leaf's dressed in a short, black dress that hugged her growing figure nicely. Her attire was completed by a pair of white cotton gloves and white running sneakers with bright green shoelaces.

"You know what? You look exactly like a Unovan cowboy in that riding pants and white shirt. Should I get you a hat?~"

"Can't refuse such an offer." Ash replies with a grin of his own, following up with the teasing. "What are you doing up there, anyways? I thought you'd be at the lab by now, you know…to get your starter."

"I was reading." The girl replies with a sigh, before dropping down on Ponyta's saddle with the grace of a Gardevoir. The fact she managed to do this without any help from Ash only made it more surprising. "Besides, it's not like I could choose anyways, you goof! Did you forget who scored first at the tests?"

"That was me, I suppose." Ash comments with a sheepish smile. Though he did get the most points of the Color Trio- aka, Ash, Gary and Leaf- it wasn't like he did so with a large margin. "Sorry to make you wait. Had to move the Tauros herd into a new area for the Summer, so I kind of forgot about it for a moment…"

"Gee. How can I be mad at you when you look at me like this?" Leaf stated with a resigned sigh, before giving his cheek a playful pinch. "I actually waited for you, so you better give me dibs on Bulbasaur!"

"Didn't you just say you weren't mad at me?" Ash inquired with cocked brows, as he tapped his spurs on Rose's sides. Almost immediately, the Ponyta resumed its smooth trotting back to the lab . "Besides, I think I'm getting Bulbasaur. I mean, it **is **the best starter…"

"Don't you dare, Ashy-boy~"

After a few more minutes of teasing back and forth, the teenage duo finally finishes the long climb up the grassy hill leading to Professor Oak's world-famous laboratory. At this point, most of the Pokémon living in the ranch are already up and running around, including a pack of young Growlithe and the large Nidoran herd, led by a bunch of Nidorino and their female counterparts. Pidgey and Spearow chirp from the trees beyond the wooden fence, eying the humans with curiosity.

"How charming~" Leaf says with a playful wink, as Ash helps her down the Ponyta's saddle. "I guess I'll be going inside. You still have to unsaddle Ponyta after all."

"Sure thing." Is Ash's response, giving the brunette one last glance before turning back to Rose- who eyes him eagerly. "I guess someone's hungry for carrots huh?"

Skip to about ten minutes later, and Ash lets out a sigh as he wipes out the sweat from his forehead. With Rose finally unsaddled and fed, Ash pets the Ponyta's neck a bit, before sending her back to the stable. "Now then, I guess now's the time to choose..."

Unsurprisingly, Gary was already there when he walked in.

Gary "Blue" Oak, or as Leaf liked to call him "the richest prick in Pallet", was Professor Oak's grandson and a self-proclaimed genius; he was also Ash's best friend, though their friendship had recently become more like a rivalry than anything else.

The boy Ash had shared the crib with when he was a baby had now grown to be almost as tall as him, standing at impressive six feet of height. Gary was lean, and had dark brown hair- which he liked to keep in a long, spiky tuft- and bright green eyes that glowed with both great intelligence, and arrogance.

"Hey there, Ashy-boy, you're late! " the youngest Oak greets with the usual cocky grin, which Ash had gotten used to at this point. Unlike Leaf, who deemed Gary completely insufferable, Ash was one of the few people to find his inflated ego quite…amusing. "Was playing with the Tauros _that _fun? You almost smell like one."

"Well, the herd sure was moody today. Besides…" Charismatic as always, Ash simply laughs the insult off before adding his own tease. "…Tauros do smell better than that cologne you use. What is it again? Gloom?"

Needless to say, Leaf dissolved into near hysterical laughter at that line. She just loved when Gary's teasing blew right back to his face. "That was a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y great, Ashy!"

"Good morning, Ash, Leaf!" Professor Oak greets with a friendly smile, as he walks into the room- a silver tray of cookies and tea in his hands. Despite the dark bags underneath his emerald eyes, the elderly researcher looks as energetic as ever- if not a bit stressed. "You two are right on time! You can help yourselves to this little snack, while I get your starters."

"Well, the old man sure looks as energetic as ever." Ash comments, watching the Professor disappear in the corridors as fast as a Scyther. Taking one of the cookies from the trail, he almost hums in delight at the taste of chocolate. "Those cookies are good! Did Daisy make them?"

"I wonder how you two can eat so much of Daisy's food and stay fit…" Leaf comments, graciously sipping from her tea like the classy lady she was while both Ash and Gary start digging in the meal like a pair of Snorlax. "Meanwhile, I have to go on diets every single week to keep this graceful figure, ***sigh*** boys…"

"So…" Gary starts, once they're finished devouring the food- wiping a few scrubs off his face. "Which starter do you plan to get, Ketchup? If you say Ponyta, I'll smack this tray on your head…"

"Which starter huh? That's a difficult question…" Ash replies with a chuckle. "No need for the tray, though, it's not Ponyta."

"Which one then?" Leaf inquires, curious. "I hope it's not Bulbasaur. I called dibs on him!"

"Oh please, shut up!" Gary rebuked in a casual tone, making the girl glare at him like an Arbok. "There's no such thing as dibs! Red hit the jackpot and scored first in the tests, so he gets to choose whatever the fuck he wants."

As the two start with the usual bickering, Ash ponders which starter would suit him best. 'Probably Bulbasaur…or I guess Charmander…"

"Gary, Leaf, stop fighting you two~"

At the young age of 33, Ash Ketchum's mother- Delia Ketchum- was a very kind, beautiful woman . She was somewhat short, though gracious and slim, and liked to keep her long, light brown hair tied in a ponytail- which, along with the white lab coat, made her look very professional. Her eyes were the same color as Ash's, golden brown; while hers while like bronze, however, Ash's were like virtual ponds of molten gold.

As a trainee Pokémon Professor under the tutelage of Samuel Oak, Delia had her research centered around the mysterious and often highly sapient Psychic type Pokémon- clearly not influenced by her choice as a starter, Alakazam. Diligent and very smart, she'd graduated from Goldenrod University with honors, despite having little Ash to take care of, before finally moving back to her hometown at Pallet in order to work with the Professor.

"Aunt Delia?!" / "Ms. Ketchum?!"

"Hey mom!" Ash greets with a warm smile, not nearly as astonished as his two friends, before going for a hug. In contrast with his sweatiness, his mother smelled of sweet perfume. "I thought you were in Greenfield with Uncle Spencer! What happened?"

"Ashy you silly, I actually was in Greenfield five minutes ago~" his mother replies with a giggle, planting an affectionate kiss on his forehead. "Professor Oak texted me, saying you were about to get your first Pokémon! I just couldn't miss this moment, so I had Kazzy teleport me here~"

"Oh, I see…" Ash then turns to the decade-old Alakazam, who still deigned himself far too evolved to acknowledge his presence. Some habits never changed, he supposed. "Thank you, Kazzy. I owe you one!"

"Delia! I'm glad you answered my call!" This time, it is Professor Oak who walks into the room. A smile forms in the old man's lips, as he gives his pupil a crushing hug. "How was Spencer? What about little Molly? Does she like the plush toy I sent her? Is-"

"Hey, gramps!" As the old Professor starts blabbering question after question about the Hales, Gary rudely cuts him off. "You can talk to Ms. Ketchum later! We've been waiting all morning to get our starters!"

"As much as it displeases me, I must agree with Gary on this." Added Leaf with a tired sigh. "We're already late because of Ashy-boy, and my legs hurt."

"Oh, for Pete's sake… so pushy, as always. Very well…"Professor Oak lets out a long sigh, before pulling out three Pokéballs from his lab coat's pocket. "As you three probably know, inside those Pokéballs are three rare Pokémon- Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander. Each of those will require near infinite dedication from both of you, in order to reach their highest potentials…"

"Yeah, I know all this already." Gary replies with a scoff, earning a sigh from his grandfather. "C'mon gramps, you know we're ready! Let us choose!"

"Very well…let me introduce you to your starters then? Ash, you're up!"

In a bright flash of white light, a trio of small creatures materializes in front of them.

At Ash's right stood Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. If Ash needed to describe Bulbasaur in few words, he'd say it was a short, bulky blue-green Pokémon with crimson eyes and a short, blunt snout with a wide mouth. On its back, there's a green plant bulb- according to the books, it grew from a seed planted there at birth- which provides the Pokémon with energy through photosynthesis. It also contains a bunch of nutrients, which were needed when the time for its evolution came.

'This Bulbasaur is tough.' While Bulbasaur were considered loyal and well-behaved Pokémon by most breeders, this one in particular seemed to have a strong temper- if its proud, challenging posture was anything to go by. Not only that, but it was slightly bulkier than the average for the species. "What moves does he know, old man?"

"Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Venoshock and Leaf Storm." Samuel replied with a grin- one that only grew wider with the awed look on the children's faces. "He's a strong little one, Bulbasaur."

"I can see that…" a brief glance at Leaf shows how entranced she seems by the small Grass type. She's almost drooling. "With this Bulbasaur by my side, there's no way I can't win the Pokémon League…" As he says that, he can almost feel Leaf's eyes burning through his back- since they were kids, the brunette had dreamt of having a Venusaur as a partner. Her grandfather owned a flower shop in Celadon, where she fell madly in love with the line after meeting his old Ivysaur. "I need to think if further, though…"

He could swear he heard her sighing in relief, before Ash landed his eyes on Squirtle- who had quite a…unique thing about him.

Like most of its kind, Squirtle- the Tiny Turtle Pokémon- was small and stood on its two hind legs, which, like the hands, had three digits each. Its eyes were large and purplish and its lips were slightly hooked like an avian's beak. That's where the similarities end, however.

'Is this…is this for real? A shiny Squirtle?!' Unlike most Squirtle, who were light blue in color, this one had a slightly dark, almost purple skin- not only that, however, but its shell was green as emerald, with a yellow underside. Unlike Bulbasaur, who looked serious and brave, Squirtle had the posture of a really cool Pokémon. It looked confident, but had a playful smile on its lips that promised lots of fun. "Squirtle huh? You sure are the coolest. What moves does this one know, Professor?"

"Tackle, Bubble, Water Gun, Bite and Withdraw."

"A good, balanced Pokémon then?" Ash comments with a grin, petting Squirtle on the head for a bit before going for his personal favorite. "Now then, time to see Charmander!"

With large azure eyes and a body covered by orange and cream scales, the Lizard Pokémon, Charmander, was- undoubtedly- an impressive Pokémon to see, one worth of all the appreciation the species was given by trainers and breeders alike. At the end of its slender tail, a small flame burned; if Ash remembered it rightly, it would continue to burn until the day Charmander died. Its slightly longer neck and small, slender build indicated it was a female, which in itself was quite rare among the species.

"A female Charmander huh?" Ash comments with a grin, hoping the Pokémon would like his praising- only to find himself completely dumbfounded as Charmander shied away from him, not even looking at him in the eye. "Hey, Charmander, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Oh, this one…I'll have to say, this Charmander is kind of complicated." The Professor stated with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose- one of the many signs of his stress. "You see, unlike Bulbasaur or Squirtle, the Charmander I distribute every year comes not from the breeding grounds here at the ranch, but from the Charicific Valley Natural Reserve, in Johto. Unfortunately…"

"What happened?" Both Leaf and Gary inquire, speaking up for the first time ever since the starters were released.

"Recently, the Valley was attacked by Pokémon Hunters- seeking to steal the new batch of eggs and sell them for a high price at the Black Market." Delia replies, having returned from inside the lab with a large, metallic case in hands. "Though the Charizard in the valley resisted and managed to repel the poachers, more than half of the eggs were lost in the fray…"

"This female was the only Charmander available for distribution. She's the weakest of the batch, and you know what happens to them in the wild…" No further words were needed. Charmander crawled even further away from him, clearly ashamed of her own weakness. Her tail flame burned weakly, and she kept her head low- unable to meet his eye. "I'm very, very sorry, Ash- I know how much you wanted a Charmander, I know I should have trie-"

"It's fine, Professor." Ketchum says in an unnaturally thoughtful tone, cutting the Professor's apologies off. "It's fine." He reinforced, before turning back to Gary and Leaf- who both look at him with eyes full of expectation. "I need to think for a bit…"

"No problem." Gary replies with a small grin. "Just don't make us wait forever, Ashy-boy."

"Sure thing…"

At first, he considered Bulbasaur. As the strongest of the trio, Bulbasaur surely had the potential to become an almost unbeatable powerhouse by the time of his final evolution into Venusaur. Not only that, but it was quite possibly the strongest Grass type in all of Indigo. 'There's Leaf, though…' Ash was sure Leaf would be mad at him if he snatched Bulbasaur from her. He wasn't sure if getting a strong Pokémon was worth the risk of losing a decade-long friendship. 'Besides, even if we remained friends, it would ruin my chances…'

'No.' the teen decides with a faint blush on his cheeks. 'I'm not choosing Bulbasaur.'

Squirtle, on the other hand, not only looked awesome, but seemed to be quite the cool and funny Pokémon. It would make for the finest companion one could get in a journey, besides having the potential to become one beast of a Blastoise. However, Ash was sure Gary would be a real pain if he didn't get Squirtle. The younger Oak really wanted a Blastoise, not in part due to his attrition with the Professor- whose starter had been Charizard. Besides, the attraction between the two seemed to be mutual.

'No…I really can't do this to Gary.' And even though he acted like a total prick most of the time, Ash was sure the feeling was reciprocal. 'Bulbasaur, no. Squirtle, no. Then, this leaves me with…'

In the end, Ash's eyes turned to Charmander, whom he measured as by far the weakest of the three. "Old man, what moves can Charmander use?"

"Standard moveset for the species: Scratch, Ember and Smokescreen." The Professor said with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Ash."

"Don't be, old man. It's not your fault." Ketchum replied with a small smile of his own, before turning to his childhood friends. "Alright, guess I've already made my choice!"

"So…what is it? Is it Squirtle? I bet 200 bucks it's Squirtle!" Gary comments with a grin. "If it's not, then you're stupid."

"Nah, it's obvious Red will choose Bulbasaur. With that moveset, he can storm the Gyms like a piece of cake…"

"I'm afraid none of you are right, in fact, my choice is…"

An utterly shocked Charmander can merely stare back at him, as he gently picks her up to look right into her teary eyes. Even Professor Oak was shocked by the boy's choice; he thought he'd choose Bulbasaur, for Mew's sake! "I like this one." The boy says with his usual smile, turning his gaze to the astonished Gary and smiling Leaf. He looks back at Charmander. "Charmander… if only you give me a chance I swear I'll make you happy. Not only that, but I'll forge you into the finest dragon in the entire Indigo! I know you're probably afraid but…will you be my starter?"

For a tense few seconds, Charmander simply looked at him with a torrent of chaotic emotions expressed in her widened eyes: from surprise, to fear, to happiness. And then, the tears finally started rolling, and the tiny lizard all but leapt at him in a grateful hug.

"I'll take that as a yes, then." The boy comments with a smile, petting the Fire type's back a bit. "Shhh, shhh, it's alright now. Everything's alright."

There were several reasons for him to choose Charmander as his starter Pokémon: for one, he was quite used to the line, after years being the only of Professor Oak's aides courageous enough to take food to Charizard's den, high up in Mt. Hideaway. Not only that, but his role model as a trainer, Lance, had one beast of a Charizard in his team- so Ash was somewhat biased towards the lizards too.

Besides, this one seemed so sad and lonely- he couldn't help but take pity on the little creature. 'Leaf's right: I guess I am one big goof.' Ash mused with a smile, as he felt moisture building up on the spot Charmander's face touched his shirt. Now that he was touching her, Ash noticed how surprisingly smooth her scales felt, almost like silk, against the skin of his palm. He knew, however, they would be turned into an extremely tough armor once she evolved. "All good now?"

As if to say 'Yes!', Charmander gave him a happy cry, before giving the tip of his nose a lick. "I guess you choose me too huh? Thank you, Charmander."

"Now that was unexpected, even for you, Ash." Leaf comments with a relieved sigh, walking to his side as Gary steps up for his turn to choose. "You really had me for a second. I thought you'd pick Bulbasaur…" her eyes then drift to Charmander, who makes herself comfortable in his arms. Needless to say, her body felt very hot against his- but he was used to worse. "Then again, I guess you made the right choice. You two really belong with each other."

"Thanks." Ash replies with a snicker, watching as Gary cheerfully introduced himself to his obvious choice: Squirtle. "Gary picked Squirtle, so it seems like you did get Bulbasaur in the end huh?"

"Thanks to you, Ashy~" Leaf replies with a playful wink. "Looks like it's time for me to get my starter. How does Gary say? Hmmm…oh, smell ya later~"

"I always knew you'd pick Charmander." He hears his mother's soothing voice comment, as she approaches them with a proud smile. "My sweet, sweet boy, mama's so proud of you~" Even as Ash's cheeks flush to a scarlet tone, Delia Ketchum wraps her arms around her son to pull him into a loving hug. From her spot in Ash's arms, Charmander eyes the woman with curiosity. "I know you'll be a wonderful trainer…"

"Hey, mom…this is kind of embarrassing..."

"Oh, look at that! Ashy-boy's red as a tomato!" Not missing a chance to tease him, Gary comments with a sly grin.

"And aren't you just beautiful?~" Charmander lets out a delighted cry, as Ash's mother scratches her right under the chin. . "Who's the cutest Charmander in the world?" the Pokémon pokes her head against Delia's hand, giving it a few licks- preening with affection. "That's right! It's you, it's you~"

And obviously, the innocent Fire type was completely unaware of the jealous glare sent her way by a certain Alakazam.

Once the trio had finally gotten used to their new partners, Professor Oak speaks up. "Ahem... children, now that you have your starters, I believe you should also have this…"

He then hands them three small, rectangular devices from Delia's case: a red one for Ash, blue for Gary and a white & green one for Leaf. "Those are very advanced devices I've recently invented, they're called Pokédexes." The elderly Oak explains with a proud grin. He clearly was happy with himself. "Think of them as hi-tech , digital encyclopedias- I decided to give them to you because you three show great potential! Each Pokédex contains data from a huge research bank, thus providing the user with knowledge about every single known Pokémon in this world."

Both Ash and Leaf stare at him in barely contained excitement, while Gary merely snickers- the boy had probably heard that thousands of times already.

"Well, now that you all have Pokémon and the Dexes, I believe it's time for you to start your own journeys as trainers." Professor Oak then gives them each a couple Pokéballs before continuing. "Ash, Gary, Leaf I've taken the liberty to register the three of you for the Indigo Circuit. You're now, officially, trainers!"

While the Professor continued with his ranting about the Gym Circuit, among other things related to the League, Ash studied his new Pokédex with interest. He'd always had a thing for technology, so it was obvious the device fascinated him. 'Let's see…there!' with a touch from his fingers, the card-shaped device separated in two ends- revealing a bluish holographic center. "Sweet."

"_Welcome, Ash Ketchum! My name is Dexter, and I am your Pokédex. How can I be of help?"_

"Looks like you already learned how to use it."Professor Oak commented with a playful grin. "Well, I believe that's all I had to say for now. The three of you are free to go now, just make sure to check up with me every now and then. Also, after you reach the limit of six, every Pokémon you capture will be sent here to the lab- call me if you need to switch any of them."

"Sure." Looking down at Charmander to see if she was comfortable, Ash follows his friends outside. "So…what do we do now? I've already got my things packed, so it's not like I'm in a hurry."

"Duuh. We all have Pokémon now, stupid." Gary scoffs, before holding Squirtle's Pokéball up in a dramatic pose. "Hey Green, want to battle? I bet Squirtle and I can beat that Bulbasaur of yours, tough one or not."

"Now that's unexpected…" the brunette replies with a deadpan, while Bulbasaur gives Gary an upwards nod as if to say: 'Bring it down, loser!'. "I thought you'd go for Ash here, what a bother."

"That was the plan, but Ashy-boy had to ruin it by choosing damn Charmander. I'd be wasting my time battling a weakling like that!"

"Are you sure? You're wasting an opportunity to defeat me while you still can." Ash replies with a mocking chuckle. "Tell you what, I'll actually do it. What do you say, Charmander?"

"_Char!"_

"Hell yeah! This is going to be one hell of an ass kicking- let's do this, Red!"

Ash simply grinned, before putting Charmander down in front of him- Gary did the same on his end, releasing Squirtle onto the grass I between them.

"Squirtle, use Water Gun!"

"Dodge, Charmander." With an amazing- almost unexpected- reaction time, Charmander ducks to the side and crouches just in time to avoid the spiral of water Squirtle spat from its mouth. "Blind it with Smokescreen!"

"Quickly, Squirtle, Withdraw!" As the Water type desperately cuts its move short to hide into its shell, Charmander's tail flame flickers wildly as she opens her mouth wide and releases a thick, black cloud of some- saturated with soot and dirt. "Don't let it hide, use Bubble!"

"Take cover, then use Ember!" Squirtle's bubbles become useless, as it can't even see Charmander under the cover of smoke and ashes. To make things worse, the Embers that did not hit Squirtle set the grass around him on fire. "Keep up the pressure, girl!"

"Don't fucking let it Squirtle, put that fire down with Water Gun!"

'Gotcha!' As he expected, Gary had fallen right into his trap. Ketchum wasn't stupid, he knew Charmander couldn't possibly hope to take on either Bulbasaur or Squirtle- at least not yet; her lack of available moves and, most importantly, her lack of self-confidence would not allow her to do so. "Charmander, I want you to trust me in this…"

"_Char!" _his starter replied eagerly. Hearing her response, Squirtle almost immediately aimed his Water Gun in that direction, though the fire and smoke impended him from landing a hit. "Use Smokescreen, make it even denser. Then, use the best Ember you can get on the grass around him!"

"Shit! Move out of there, Squirtle!" Finally getting what Ash was up to, Gary desperately tried to alert his starter- but it was to no avail. Even when compared to Bulbasaur, Squirtle was slow- against Charmander, a female one nonetheless, it was almost a sitting duck. "Shit! Keep using Water Gun! Don't let it come close!"

Even Leaf stepped back when the dark cloud expanded more and more, with the only thing visible being the occasional flash of orange of Charmander's ember attacks. The wild Pokémon in the ranch watched the battle with curiosity; even they wouldn't expect a Charmander to be having the advantage against a Water type.

A loud, surprised yelp makes itself heard as Charmander- more out of instinct than anything- tackles Squirtle down and furiously scratches it to its face. As the smoke slowly starts to dissipate, Ash can see the two figures struggling in close brawl.

"Water Gun to its face, Squirtle!"

"Scratch!" Dehydrated and exhausted after standing for so long amidst the flames, the young shiny Squirtle only manages to spit a few drops of Water that barely faze Charmander. Noticing this, the Fire type continues with her attack, ending it with a slap from her front paws that knocks Squirtle on its back- it doesn't get up. "Atta girl! I knew you could do it!"

"Damn, to think I'd actually lose." Blue spits on the ground in front of him with a scoff, before recalling his fainted Squirtle. Charmander, on the other hand, pretty much jumps into Ash's arms for a hug- staining the boy's shirt with soot. Not that he minded. "Well, I've got to patch my buddy up now. Smell ya later, Ashy-boy!"

With this one last remark, Gary 'Blue' Oak turned on his heels and left.

* * *

"That was an interesting twist of events~"

Shortly after his first official Pokémon battle, Ash- accompanied by the ever-curious leaf- walks the dusty trail towards his small house, up the street from Professor Oak's ranch and almost in the outskirts of town.

"It sure was! And all thanks to this little one here!" Ketchum replies with a grin, lowering his arm so he can pet Charmander's head. Walking by his side on short legs, the Fire-type gives him a pleased cry. "I knew you had it in you, Charmander! Together, you and I shall conquer the world!"

"Energetic aren't you?" Leaf teases with cocked brows. "At least you gave that prick what he deserves."

"Come on, Leaf, Gary's not that bad…"

"You're right. He's _worse_ than a prick, he's a complete assh-."

"Language, young lady." He playfully states in a tone similar to Professor Oak's- as the duo walks past the poison ivy that acted as some sort of fence around the Ketchum residence. "Anyways, we're home!"

The very instant he opens the door, Ash is greeted with a playful bite to his head as the small, grey missile that is Gible jumps over him- earning a startled squeak from Charmander, and a giggle from Leaf, who was quite familiar with the tiny Dragon. "Hey there, Gible! I see you're up and running as always!"

"_Gi, Gible!"_ is the Pokémon's cheerful response, before it jumps off him to greet Leaf. _"Gible!"_

Small, bipedal and of a stout build, Gible is a rare Dragon/Ground type hybrid from distant Sinnoh. Known as the 'Land Shark Pokémon', the neckless Gible has a very big mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, short arms that start at the outer edges of its jaws, and has an armor of rough, grayish blue scales that protects its body. Gible's head is topped by a notched fin, sided by two "horns" that look more like jet engines than anything else.

According to his mom, Gible had been a gift from his father before he left their lives for good- as she always became uncomfortable and, sometimes, teary whenever he mentioned his father, Ash never really asked further. Either way, when his egg finally hatched about five years before, the young Ketchum took to the clumsy Dragon almost immediately.

"Hello, Gible~" Leaf greets with a warm smile, before releasing her chosen partner- Bulbasaur- on the floor by her feet. "This is my new partner, Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur, meet Pallet's little troublemaker, Gible."

As the two Pokémon start playing with each other, Ash climbs up the stairs to the bathroom in the second floor of the house. After a quick, steaming shower, Ash heads to his room to grab a change of clothes, switching into his usual attire: a light, red and white cotton jacket over a black polo shirt, jeans and white running shoes. The icing on the cake, however, is his favorite red, Pokéball cap.

"Well, I guess it's time for a formal introduction."Ketchum starts with a grin, gently placing the little Charmander on the nightstand before taking a seat on his bed. Wary of the flames on her tail, the Fire type kept it raised high in order to avoid burning something. "As you already know, my name is Ash, Ash Ketchum- though people like calling me Red. I was an aide in Professor Oak's lab until very recently, but now- I'm about to go on a journey to take on the Pokémon League…"

Charmander simply looks up at him in awe, to which he replies by petting her on the head. "So cute…anyways, I don't like the idea of calling you Charmander. It sounds way too impersonal, at least to me so…do you want a nickname?"

"_Char~" _the adorable Fire type replies with a nod.

Truth to be told, Ash had already been brewing some ideas for a nickname from the moment he picked her as his starter. As an avid reader of classics from both Kanto and Johto, it was obvious Ash would pick a proper, traditional name instead of the usual ridiculous nicknames most people gave to their Pokémon. 'Let's see…'

"What about Akahana?" A once popular name for young ladies of Ecruteak's _Enju _era, Akahana means '_Brilliant Red Flower_'. A suiting name, considering the reddish orange tone of Charmander's scales. Unfortunately for him, however, Charmander seems to dislike the name. "You don't like it? Well then, what about…"

In the end, they settled for Akane_ ( Kanji:__茜__\- 'Bright Red')_, which meant 'Bright Red' in the classical Kantonese language. "Akane…Akane, yes, it suits you well."

Heading downstairs with the newly christened Akane nested in his arms, Ash walks into the sight of his mother eagerly chatting with Leaf. A spicy, tantalizing smell Ash recognizes as frying Magikarp fills in his nostrils the very moment he steps into the kitchen.

"Oh, hey there, Ashy!" his mother greets from her spot by the stove, where she's finishing lunch with the help of Mr. Mime. "Leaf here was telling me about your battle with Gary. Congrats~"

"Well, at least Squirtle learned not to play with Akane!"

"Akane?" Leaf inquires from her spot at the table, Bulbasaur obediently sitting on her lap.

"That's Charmander's new nickname." Ash replies with a snicker, helping himself to some juice before claiming one of the seats to himself. "Where's Kazzy? I thought he'd be here for lunch."

"He's in the attic, meditating." Delia states with a smile that could warm up the entire country, as plates float from the wood shelves to the table- courtesy of the housekeeper, Mr. Mime. Her eyes then land on Bulbasaur, who stares back with his usual plain, serious expression. "What about you, Bulbasaur? Would you like some Berries?"

"_Bul."_

"So cute~" As if by magic, a small bowl filled to the brim with all sorts of berries popped out of thin air in front of the tiny Grass type. Bulbasaur studied it for a few seconds, before finally taking a nibble. "There , there, eat all you want~"

Watching the scene with amusement, Ash helps himself to a large plate of juicy, breaded Magikarp fillet, combined with bananas- fried in bottle butter and speckled with brown sugar and cinnamon- spicy Kalosian fries and a glass of iced black tea mixed with some lemon juice. Much like everything about her, Delia Ketchum's cooking was simply divine. "Tea or juice, Leaf?"

"Tea, please." The girl replies with a sly grin as Ash serves her a glass. "My, my, Red Ketchum, I guess I'll be having my meals here from now on…"

"Feel free to come any time, Leaf." Delia rebuked while picking Akane up and setting her in her lap. "What cute little Pokémon you two got, I'm starting to get jealous~"

"They won't be so little for long, though." Leaf stated, amused. Delia Ketchum really had her way around Pokémon. "Once Bulbasaur starts getting some sunlight, he'll start growing real quick."

"I, on the other hand, will be carrying Akane around for some time..." Ash commented with a glance at his starter, who looked up at his mother with her big, puppy eyes. It wasn't a secret that the Charmander line had a slower evolutionary process than both Bulbasaur's and Squirtle's. "Not that I'm complaining, though. I actually like that quite a bit!"

"_Char~"_

"We can see that."Both Delia and Leaf replied with giggles, making Ash blush slightly. "That's so cute~"

"You two really like messing with me, don't you?"

"We do~"

"Good grief…" Ash replies with a sigh.

And so, they spend the rest of lunchtime in casual chatter- mostly about his mother's research and travels to Johto and the Orange Islands, though the conversation eventually shifted to their traveling plans. Eventually, Leaf takes her leave and- after helping Mr. Mime do the dishes and brushing his teeth- Ash heads back up to grab his backpack.

It took him the better part of an hour, but- as the midday sun started its slow descent into the horizon- Champ in the Making Ash Ketchum finally drops the last of his traveling clothes into the small, black bag- making sure to select the right storage compartment before the piece of clothing was dissolved into billions of particles. Technology really was awesome. "Clothes- checked."

Not that he really needed to do so in the first place. After all, he did spend the entirety of the previous week packing up for his long-awaited journey. Clothes, water bottles, fresh, imperishable supplies, cooking items a sleeping bag and medicine- everything was ready, now there was only one thing left…

Akane's white Premier Ball slipped smoothly into his belt's Pokéball compartment. Said Charmander eyed it with curiosity from her spot at his studying desk; under what little sunlight that snuck its way through the jalousies of his room, the object glinted like pure silver. "Well, shall we go now?"

"_Char!"_ the timid Fire type cries happily, before jumping to her already favorite spot in Ash's arms. _"Char, Char, Charmander!"_

After giving his mother- and the Pokémon- his farewells and promising to call her on every stop he made, Ash grabbed his old, red Pokégear from the living room's shelf and walked out.

With the last winds of Winter long gone, the climate in southern Kanto has returned to its usual bland temperatures and refreshing, humid sea breezes. Verdant, luxurious grass had quickly grown over the formerly frozen earth- adding even more color to Pallet's idyllic landscape; practically ripped off the pages of a classic poem.

Whistling one his favorite compositions, Ash calmly walks down- with Akane in his arms, of course- the plain, dusty trail leading north to Route 1; both his Pokéballs and Pokégear hitting against his hip on every step. Few minutes later, and they were passing by the deceivingly simple Oak residence.

"Seems like Gary's on his way to Viridian already." Red comments, noticing the absence of his friend's fancy, red convertible at the garage. Gary Oak was rich- not in part due to the Professor's successful career- and he didn't mind showing it off one bit. "However…"

Not even bothering to knock on the door, Ash walks in on Gary's older sister- Daisy- who seemed to be packing up her things.

Until very recently, Ash Ketchum had rarely shown any interest on the opposite sex- in aspects beyond friendship that is. Thus, he couldn't help but blush slightly as he meet the playful, greenish eyes of Daisy Oak. If he needed a word to describe her, it'd be gorgeous- with her long, silky brown hair and heart-shaped face. Not only that, but even in casual home clothes, the eldest Oak sibling managed to look like a fashion model: being dressed in a red turtleneck and jeans.

Needless to say, Ash had a difficult time not blushing.

"Hey there, Ashy! I thought you'd have hit the road already!" Daisy greets with a flashy smile, as she hands over a pair of folded pants to her Chansey, Seych. "Gary told me you chose Charmander. I gotta say she does look cute in your arms~"

"Heh, thanks Daisy." Ketchum replies with a grin of his own. "I actually came here to see you. It will probably be a while before I'm back to town, with the Kanto Circuit and all."

"Actually, I'm not very different." the older girl replies cheerfully, showing him a shiny, golden airway ticket. "After Gary told me he was becoming a trainer, I decided to get back in the road too. I mean…it is kind of lonely here, even with gramps…"

"The old man does take his job way too seriously." Ash commented with a mild chuckle, kneeling down to help the humming Chansey. Seych greets him with a cheerful cry, before resuming her own work. "Where are you going this time? Johto? Hoenn?"

"Sinnoh~" Daisy says with a small giggle. "I've been pondering about it for a while…I think it's time for me to go back to the world of Pokémon Contests."

"Don't talk like an old lady." Ash teases, earning a playful pinch to his cheek. "You're not even twenty; it's been what…two years since you came back to town?"

"Who are you calling old, you little twerp?" the brunette replies in fake anger. "I don't know- seeing you and Gary going out on your own journeys inspired me to do the same! Besides, I do miss Fantina, and I wonder how Courtney's doing…"

"Your friends?"

"Yes- oh! By the way, where's Gible?! I thought you'd take him now that…you know, you're going on your own journey and everything."

"I don't think that's…viable."

Even with all his experience working with Pokémon at the ranch, Ash wasn't very sure about his ability to not only rein in, but actually train a Dragon type like Gible.

Unlike the usually calm, docile and intelligent Dratini line, Dragon types such as Gible and Bagon- besides being nearly as rare as Dratini- had a tendency to cause trouble wherever they passed, mostly due to their behavior. Though he had no doubt Gible would never harm him- he was one of his oldest friends after all- the clumsy and oblivious little Dragon was extremely difficult to control. As a hatchling, he'd gnaw on the wires of Professor Oak's lab, much to the elder's dismay; he'd often chew on the furniture of their house, and had the habit of playfully biting people's heads.

'Not only people, that is.' The most recent time Gible caused him trouble involved a certain Charizard, whose tail Gible had bitten- _hard_. Needless to say, the Professor's starter nearly broke every single tooth in the Dragon's mouth, which forced Ash to feed it with pasty baby food for almost six weeks before those finally grew back. 'Not only that, but I ended up feeling bad for a month…'

No, for both his and Gible's sakes, he wouldn't be taking the tiny Dragon type with him. At least, not until he felt like he was experienced enough to actually control him.

"I'm not ready to take Gible with me yet." Ash replied in an unexpectedly serious tone. "I need some more experience as a trainer first, so I can deal with him better now, and when he evolves."

"I see…" Daisy gave him an odd look for a few seconds, before finally returning to the usual cheerfulness. "Well, I think I've held you for too long already. It's almost fourteen, and you still have a long way to Viridian."

"Alright! Well, goodbye Daisy! I'll make sure to text you every now and then!"

"Goodbye Ashy, oh, and before I forget…" What Daisy does next makes even the carefree Ash blush more than a tomato. Leaning forwards before he can even react, the eldest Oak gives him a light peck to the forehead before pulling back. "That's for good luck! Now, go, go, your Pokémon journey awaits~"

'Those women will be the end of me.' Ash muses with a sigh. 'I wonder if this is what Gary feels whenever he's with one of his girlfriends.'

In the end, he decided to shrug it out. For now, he had far more important matters to worry about.

* * *

**Route 1, Kanto.**

Probably the calmest road in all of Kanto, Route 1 could be described as a large, primitive trail of dust- completely surrounded by trees and tall grass.

After taking just a few dozen steps out into the wild, Ash comes to a sudden halt- realizing he'd forgotten something really important. "Hey girl." He starts, looking down at his Charmander, who was looking around in awe from her spot by his feet- he didn't want her to get lazy, so he planned to make her walk for a bit. "I actually forgot to scan you with the Dex, would you mind if I did it now?"

Akane gives him an eager nod, and in a swift movement, Ash pulls the Pokédex off his pocket and activates it.

* * *

_**[Pokédex]**_

**Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon.**

**Type: Fire.**

**Height: 0.48 m/ Weight: 6.2 kg.**

_**Instantly recognizable by the flame that burns on the tip of its tail from birth, Charmander is a rare Fire type Pokémon native to the region of Kanto- where it's considered one of the three Official Starters by the League. Its ideal habitat are hot, mountainous areas.**_

_**Even the newborns have flaming tails. Unfamiliar with fire, baby Charmander are said to accidentally burn themselves. Said flame serves as an indicator of its emotions; the flame wavers when Charmander is happy, and blazes when it is enraged. If a Charmander is healthy, its flame burns even underwater and, when it rains, steam is said to spout from the tip of its tail.**_

_**In the wild Charmander exhibits pack behavior, calling others of its species if it finds food. Those packs are usually formed by members of the same batch, though the weaker ones are usually excluded.**_

_**Female Charmander are incredibly rare- barely making up 10% of the complete population- thus explaining the species' slow breeding rate. They are usually smaller and faster than the males, and can be easily identified by an experienced breeder- due to their long necks and slender builds.**_

_**This Charmander is a female, and knows the following moves: Scratch; Smokescreen and Ember.**_

_**This Charmander's Ability is Blaze, which significantly boosts the power of Fire type moves in a pinch.**_

_**This Charmander has the Hidden Ability, Solar Power, which nearly doubles this Pokémon's power under harsh sunlight- yet with a great energy cost.**_

* * *

'Blaze huh?' This could even things a bit, should an opponent prove itself too much for Akane's normal strength. Turning to his partner, he gives her a warm smile- before scratching her neck affectionately. "You're a box full of surprises huh, girl?"

It was a few hours into their walking, that Ash and his Charmander finally met another trainer.

Unlike Ash, who was in his mid teens, little Ronny was an aspiring Pokémon trainer and an elementary school student in Pallet Town. Though Akane wasn't overwhelmingly strong like Leaf's Bulbasaur, she still managed to do short work of Ronny's Rattata. As Ronny wasn't officially a trainer, the battle wasn't registered in Ash's Trainer Card, but he still received his bet. After patching Rattata up with a potion, Ketchum left the boy to his own devices.

"Hmm?" Hearing the sounds of battle up ahead, Ash finds himself surprised when he stumbles upon Leaf- who had just finished battling a lone, angry-looking Spearow.

"Pokéball, go!"

Even with the bird nearly knocked out by Bulbasaur's ruthless beating, the device actually twitched for a few seconds in the ground, before finally clicking. The capture was successful. "Yesss! You did great, Bulbasaur!"

"Oh, seems like someone just got her first capture." He commented with a grin, making Leaf quickly turn on her heels- alert- before her eyes widen in recognition.

"Ash! What took you so long? I actually thought you were planning to stay the night!"

"Had to say my goodbyes to Daisy, took a bit longer than expected." Ketchum replies with a sheepish grin. "Anyways, good catch! Fearow do make for good battlers if well-trained."

"I know right? This little one here was particularly fierce~" Green then pulls out her own Pokédex to scan her new partner- turns out Spearow was a female, and it had a good amount of moves- including the highly coveted 'Mirror Move'. "I can work with that."

"I can only imagine."

For a long moment, there was an awkward silence between the two- as neither knew what to say. Then, as if she'd just had a good idea- Leaf smiles, before saying. "Tell you what, are you up for battle? Bulbasaur here's been itching for a good fight the whole day. And after what you did to Gary, I'm pretty sure _you_ can give him that."

"What do you say, Akane?" Ash inquires, turning to his partner- who seems quite nervous at the perspective. "It's up to you? Do you want to battle Bulbasaur?"

All eyes turned to the timid Charmander, who looked like she was about to try hide behind Ash. Most unnerving of all was the look Bulbasaur gave it, not only expectant, but really pressuring too. Noticing he was just making her even more hesitant by staring, Ash knelt by his partner's side before petting her head affectionately. "Akane…"

After five years helping the old Professor at the lab, Ash was all but inexperienced with Pokémon and their feelings. Even for him, however, Akane was a different, complicated case. Though there was great determination in her- as she'd shown in their battle against Gary and Squirtle- the little Charmander was still very insecure about herself. 'I need to be more careful next time…Ash Ketchum, you idiot, of course she'd be afraid.'

Afraid of Bulbasaur, who she knew was much stronger than her. Afraid of losing, in humiliation as merciless vines whip her to unconsciousness. Afraid of disappointing him, like she'd disappointed people and Pokémon alike with her weakness.

"I'm sorry, Leaf, but I really can't accept." Ketchum stated in one of his rare moments of worry and, most importantly, disappointment- not with his Pokémon- but with himself. "I thought Akane was…okay with this, especially after we defeated Gary…"

Said Charmander raises her head to meet his eye at the mention of her name. Instead of a frown, she sees a warm, gentle smile on Ash's face. "I'm not mad at you, girl. It's okay…"

After that small moment between the two, Ash decided to accompany Leaf on the walk to Viridian- not only because courtesy demanded it, but also because chatting with Green was better than wandering through Route 1 all by himself.

Their first day of traveling is mostly uneventful, except for a few battles with other Rookie trainers that is. Most of those were kids, though, so Ash couldn't help but feel slightly bothered.

"Isn't this kind of…illegal?" he inquires, after beating yet another youngster- this time with a Pidgey- and receiving his bet in form of a small bundle of bills. "I mean, most of the trainers here are under the age to get a license…"

While the minimal age required for one to obtain a Trainer License had once been that of ten years, a series of events in the previous decade forced the Pokémon League- not only in Indigo, but in all the other regions- to impose a new set of rules: now, only individuals over the age of fifteen were allowed to register as Trainers, with the few exceptions including Gym trainers, trainee Officers and Rangers.

Even though this new rule might seem authoritarian at first, the League was right to be cautious: with the steady rise of the Rocket Criminal Syndicate as a major force in Kanto's underworld, criminality skyrocketed all across the region- with the main victims being young, inexperienced trainers raging from ages ten to thirteen; not only that, but the brutal carnage that were the 1st and 2nd Shadow Incidents in distant Orre sent waves across the entire world.

Being a Pokémon trainer had never been safe, even in the best of times. With criminal organizations such as Team Rocket, in Kanto, and Aqua and Magma, in Hoenn, on the rise then, it became outright dangerous for little kids to be wandering around the wild. 'That, and there are people like the Cerulean Ripper, who targeted rookies like Leaf and I…'

The fact that said criminal has never been caught sent a cold shiver up Ash's spine.

"I guess it is…and isn't at the same time. The new rules are kind of complicated…" Leaf replies sheepishly, spraying a bit of Potion on a bruiser caused by a particularly tough Mankey. During the short time they'd spent together, Ash took note on how resilient Leaf's starter was- it made sense Akane was kind of scared to fight him. "I mean, while kids can't have a Trainer Card, it doesn't necessarily forbid them from having Pokémon. They just can't register for the Gym circuits, or fight official, League sponsored battles."

"I see…" that sounded complicated and tedious, at least in Ash's eyes. Knowing Leaf, though, he could probably guess she'd just read the whole code of law, if only for the sake of cautiousness. Girls could be more paranoid than Nidoking at times. "If that's the case, then so be it."

After winning a few more battles- making a good deal of money in the process- both Ash and Leaf eventually decide to set up camp in a small, hidden clearing Bulbasaur had found; just a few steps off the road.

"That's actually quite convenient." Ash comments with a snicker, watching as the bulky Grass type used his powerful vines to cut a few twigs off the pine trees around them, until they had a small bundle. With the help of Akane, Ash then dug a small hole with a gardening shovel, before turning to his starter. "Could you do the honors?"

"_Char~"_

Skip to a few minutes later, and a small bonfire sends shadows all across the clearing. Ash's nose twitches in recognition of the smell of pine, remembering his mother's habits of boiling the needles to make bathroom fragrance. "I guess I won't be needing this anymore." The teen says, looking at his white Zippo lighter before his gaze drifts to Charmander's tail. "I have my own little torch now~"

"_Char!"_

"Just kidding." With a playful grin, he lets his starter climb in between his crossed legs before he starts petting her belly. "Are you done there yet, Leaf?"

"Almost!" he hears his companion's voice say from inside the tent. A moment later, the girl steps out of the structure with a satisfied smirk. "I told you I could do it, Ashy-boy!"

"Yeah, with Bulbasaur's help, even Gible can set up a tent."

"Oh, shut up- will you?" Green rebukes with a huff, before taking a seat on the fresh grass by his side. "Anyways, can you boil some water? I'm starting to get really hungry after all that walking, and there's some _really _tasty chicken noodles in my bag…"

"You and your feeding habits…" Ash sighs. "Didn't you just say you were on a diet earlier today?"

"I _was_ on a diet, Reddy." Green replies with a wink. "There's no such luxuries when you're on a journey~"

"Heh, you're just being lazy." Reaching for his bag, Ash quickly scans through the 'Food&Drinks' compartment section until he finds what he's looking for. "Let's see…Night Meal, 1." In a flash of bright red light, thousands of particles form into a small, paper package- a few other clicks, and a large box filled with cooking items also materializes. "This bag cost me a note, had to save a whole year worth of salary to buy this…well, at least it's worth it! Tonight's dish is…Fried Rice!"

"Wow- really?" Leaf cocks her brows, before inquiring. "And people say I'm the cautious one."

"It's not like I did it alone." In fact, it had all been Kazzy's idea- after he told his mother about his plans to go out on a journey instead of going to Celadon University or something like that. While the Alakazam was far from friendly towards him, he could be helpful at times. "Kazzy gave me the idea, while Mr. Mime helped me divide the ingredients in meal-sized packages."

Thanks to the Psychic duo, Ash now had a decent supply of fresh, healthy ingredients- which he could use to cook a whole plethora of meals for both himself, and his Pokémon.

"Now, I only need to…"

Mere twenty minutes later, and a the exotic smell several ingredients, frying in virgin olive oil, fills in the clearing- making both human and Pokémon stomachs growl. While fried rice was an easy, one-pan Kantonese meal, it still made for fool-proof dinner. "Dinner's served, guys!"

Accepting a bowl of the steaming food from Ash's hands, Leaf grins before- as usual- teasing. "My, my, what would I be without you, Reddy-boy?"

And, Ash, ever in the mood for some teasing, replies.

"A Snorlax."

Needless to say, Leaf refused to speak to him for the rest of the night.

* * *

**Viridian City**

The next day in the road started pretty much the same way; Ash and Leaf battled some other trainers, winning every single match while making a good thousand Pokédollars in bets each. Wild Pokémon, mostly Pidgey and Rattata, avoided them most of the time; a small herd of Mankey, led by a Primeape, did try to scare them off, though left them be after Ash bribed them with some snacks.

A part of him wanted to try and catch that Primeape, though his rational side quickly convinced him otherwise. Primeape were extremely aggressive and short-tempered; this Fighting-type needed a strong hand in charge, else risking it to go out on a rampage. 'Besides, I'm not sure Akane could handle that one; not yet…'

And then, after a few more hours of walking, they finally reach the city known as The Eternally Green Paradise: Viridian, jewel of eastern Kanto.

Though it was relatively small if compared to Kanto and Johto's larger urban centers such as Saffron and Goldenrod, Viridian City definitely lived up to its slogan. As the literal gateway to Indigo Plateau, Viridian had a historical air only surpassed by Ecruteak in Johto; the houses there were mostly built in a classical, Kantonese style, surrounded by lush pine trees and bushes.

"Documents, please." Officer Jenny politely requests, as soon as Ash and Leaf walk through Viridian's southern gates. Her eyes flicker in recognition when they see Ash, though he says nothing as they hand her their Dexes. "Let's see…Ash Ketchum and Leaf Green, both from Pallet Town. How long do you play to stay in Viridian?"

"One or two days, I guess." Leaf replies. "We're on our way to Pewter, where we plan to challenge the Gym Leader there."

'Well, there is a Gym Leader here too…' Not that he actually planned to challenge this one in particular. Even daring as he was, Ash Ketchum wasn't enough of an idiot to think he could even scratch any of Giovanni's Pokémon. 'Besides, I need four Badges before I can even enter his Gym.'

Not only that, but his mother always felt a bit uncomfortable whenever the Gym Leader was mentioned. Then again, Giovanni was described as a grim, reclusive man- scarier than even the Psychic Sabrina.

"You know, there was another kid from Pallet yesterday- Gary Oak. Do you know him?"

"Of course, he's a friend." Ash rebuked, though it actually made Leaf scoff. Gary Oak, a friend of hers? Not in a thousand years. "Anyways, can we pass now? After almost two days on the road, both me and Akane here have been itching for a steaming bath and a good, warm bed!"

"_Char, Charmander~"_

"Besides, I'm pretty sure Dexter needs to recharge."

"_You're actually quite right, Mr. Ketchum."_ The red Pokédex replies, from its spot in the Officer's hands.

"Ketchum…Ketchum? Oh, I remember you now! You're Professor Oak's aide, aren't you? The one who rides a Rapidash?"

"In flesh and bone." Ash stated with a snicker. "Though it's been a long time since Rapidash was sent to the Rangers. I usually work with Ponyta now!"

"It's nice to see you again! Oh…I'm sorry, I think I've taken too much of your time already. You two are clean to go, Ash, Leaf!"

As the two walked through Viridian's crowded streets, Ash- with his Charmander in his arms- found himself instantly enraptured by the city's freshness and beauty. Akane herself attracted quite a few looks, and more than once the teen heard the words 'cute' and 'beautiful' being whispered as they passed. "We're attracting quite a lot of attention huh?"

"If by we, you mean _Akane_, then yes."

It didn't take them much longer to get to Viridian's absolutely enormous Pokémon Center- and a wave of ice cold air instantly hits the trainers as the air conditioner is turned on max capacity. To their left, there's a large cafeteria, where trainers could buy food for both themselves and their teams; to their right, was a comfortable waiting room- with couches, puffs and even a pair of TVs.

"Welcome to our Pokémon Center!" A beautiful, fair-skinned young woman greets with a smile that could warm up even the coldest of hearts. Her hair is of a bright pink color, and is kept tied in round rings to each side of her head. This, combined with her white nurse uniform identifies her as Nurse Joy, one of the kind, cloned nurses responsible for healing Pokémon and- to some extent- their trainers. "I am Nurse Joy! Would you like me to heal your Pokémon?"

"Actually, Akane here just needs a checkup." Ash replies, while tapping his Pokédex at the counter's scanner. After a few seconds, a picture of his Trainer Card appears on the screen, depicting his profile picture, origin, ID Code, team and badges. "She's had some battles, nothing too intense though."

"I see." Joy then turns to Leaf, who'd already done the same with her own Dex. "What about you, miss…"

"Leaf. I'm the same as him- Bulbasaur just needs a checkup. My Spearow needs some healing though, she's had some hard battles recently."

"Understood!" After handing them their Pokéballs and paying the hotel fee- which turned out to be 200 Pokédollars each after they agree to share a room- the Pallet rookies then parted ways: as it was still early in the afternoon, Leaf wanted to go out and explore the city for a bit, while Ash decided to rest while Akane was being treated. 'Let's see…'

Browsing through the channels of the TV, he eventually settled for some new trends from Kalos- Pokévision, or something like that- and actually watched for a few minutes as a redhead named Aria dressed up a small, yellow Fox Pokémon. When the next video started, however, Ash was already mid-dive into his own thoughts.

'I need to figure out a way to counter Brock…' Ash silently mused, supporting his head on his chin as memories from their very first battle together flashed through his mind like a movie. 'I'll probably not be so lucky next time.'

Tactics- this was essential for a Pokémon trainer, should he/she aim for the top positions in a League Conference. Tactics was what gave him his victory against Gary; Ash's natural ability to quickly grasp the situation allowing him to work both the field, and Squirtle's well-known weaknesses to his and Akane's advantage.

However, as a wise general had once said: "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."

Ash Ketchum needed to start planning his moves and actions _outside_ the field of battle: How to deal with Akane's insecurities? Which moves he needed to teach her? What Pokémon to catch? Which Gym Leaders would he challenge next?

'So many things to think of…' he sighed. Gary had, undoubtedly, already planned his entire journey from beginning to end- including the order in which he'd take on Gyms, and the Pokémon he'd catch. In this aspects, they were probably polar opposites. "I'm tactics, he's strategy. What is Leaf, though?"

Maybe a mix of both- he had yet to see the girl have an actual, challenging battle. 'If only Akane was less insecure…'

Shrugging those thoughts out with a sigh, Ash walks up to the cafeteria to grab a lemonade, before searching through the contacts at his Pokégear's agenda until he found the one he was looking for.

"Ketchum Residence, Delia Ketchum speaking. How can I help?"

"Hello, mom." Ash greets with a snicker at the surprised yelp that makes itself head on the other side of the line. It takes about a minute or so before his mother's face appears on the video phone, and she looks like she'd just gotten out of bath. "My bad. I thought you were free now, since it's Saturday! Anyways, I called you to say-"

"Ashy!" Before he can say anything, his mother cheerfully cuts him short with a barrage of questions after questions. "How are you? Are you at Viridian already? Did you catch any Pokémon? Where's Akane? Did you walk there alone? Or maybe you met Leaf? I was so worried about you!"

"I can see that." He rebukes with a mild chuckle. "As I was saying, I called you to tell I've already made it to Viridian. I'm traveling with Leaf, for now at least, don't know what her future plans are…"

"You made it to Viridian in less than two days?! That's impressive, Ash! It used to take me four days to get there before Kazzy perfected his Teleport~"

"Isn't it still terrible?" he teases back, knowing the Alakazam would probably hear it as well. Whenever he required Kazzy to teleport him somewhere, the process usually ended with him losing all sense of direction for a few seconds. "Just kidding. Anyways, tell the old man Akane's doing fine. She has some…issues with confidence, but we have yet to lose a battle!"

"I'll make sure to tell him that! You're his protégé after all- I'm sure he'll be proud of you!"

"Well, that's it for now- I guess. Anyways…" His eyes then drifted to the counter, where Nurse Joy's working partner- a Chansey- had just come back holding a Premier Ball. "…seems like Nurse Joy just finished her checkup. I think I'm going to the market now, look for some ingredients and all."

"Aright then! See you later, Ash, and don't forget to change your underwe-"

"Good try, mom. Good try." Putting his Pokégear back on his belt, making a mental note to look for a wristlet later, the boy walks up to the waiting Chansey- who greets him with a cheerful cry before handing him his partner's Pokéball. "Thank you, Chansey!"

"_Chansii~"_

Once he's out at the street, he releases Akane who - after a quick look at her surroundings- immediately jumps up to claim the spot in his arms. "You know what…I think you're becoming spoiled!"

"_Char~_"

"Don't 'char' me, Akane."

Their first destination is, of course, Viridian's Open Air market, which according to _Dexter_, only operated in weekends. As they walk by the many colorful stands, Ash notices the glances sent to his partner- especially by the younger kids. 'Then again, it's not every day you see a Charmander being carried around in her trainer's arms.'

"You like sweet flavors right?" At Akane's agreeing nod, he walked to a particular stand- this one displaying berries typically found in the region. Helping his partner up so she could hold onto his neck, Ketchum then picked the ones that looked tastier. "Let's see…Mago, Pecha, a bit of Oran for texture, and Cheri and Pinap for the spiciness. That's what Fire types like, after all!"

After walking by a few more stands- buying some ingredients he lacked, such as herbs and saffron, as well as a brand new cutlass for fish- Ash finds himself halting by the showcase of a particularly fancy boutique. Noticing Akane's eyes were locked on a bright pink, polka dot ribbon- one that didn't look all that special, but still caught the Charmander's eye anyway.

'I know I'm probably going to regret this but…' Bringing forth _Dexter_, he looked into his bank account- after spending almost the entirety of his recent winnings at the fair and Pokémon Center, Ash had little more than ₽11,000 available for expenditure, with further 75k his mother gave him for emergencies. He made up his mind. "Say, girl. Do you want that ribbon?"

A mere moment later, and Ash finds himself back on the street; an overjoyed Akane in his arms as she showed off her new present. 'A thousand Pokédollars. On a ribbon…'

Though both he and his mother had made a good amount of money working for the Professor- with the family restaurant, Pallet House, providing substantial extra income- Ash couldn't really say they were rich. 'I really hope this doesn't become a habit…'

"Welcome back, trainer! I see you two enjoyed walking through the city~"

"Sure we did, Nurse Joy." After accepting the room's keys from the nurse, Ash heads up to his and Leaf's shared room- where the brunette already waits with a book at hands. "Hey! How was your day?"

"Good." Green rebukes with a tired sigh, setting the book- titled 'Caring for your Bulbasaur', by Erika Mori. Said Grass type laid sprawled on a pillow by the side of Leaf's bed, completely drained. "I met this orange-haired girl while looking for a Poliwag at Route 22. Turns out her Starmie was stronger than both Bulbasaur and Spearow here." She then nodded to the spot where the tiny, winged devil slept- perched up on the nightstand by her bed. "My, my, and here I thought I'd be able to keep a perfect record for a bit longer…"

"Wish I could see that." Ash then puts Akane down by his bed, before asking. "Anyways, I'm using the shower now. Do you mind?"

"Not one bit, Ashy~" Leaf purrs in response, before burying her nose back in the small tome.

Once he's taken a cold, refreshing shower, Ash 'Red' Ketchum lets himself collapse on the soft bed. "What are you waiting for?" He inquires, seeing the puzzled look Akane was giving him from her spot at the floor. "Nurse Joy told me the blanket's fireproof. You can sleep with me, if you want."

"_Char!"_

'I can get used to that.' The teen muses, once he notices the Charmander had curled up by his side. Though it didn't burn the bed sheets, Akane's tail did serve as a small, natural heater in the fresh air of the night.

It doesn't take long for him to fall asleep like that, with dreams of a Pokémon Journey populating his mind.

* * *

_**Chapter End.**_

**A/N: So, did you guys like this chapter? Make sure to give me some feedback- positive or negative- at the reviews!**

**I guess that's all I have to say for now, just finished writing this during a long airplane trip, so I'm pretty tired. Thanks for reading until here!**

**Alcoholic Pikachu**


	2. Golden Wings

**Reverse- Chapter 2: Golden Wings.**

**A/N: Hey there, guys and gals! Your boy here with another chapter of…Reverse!**

**Med School's been hellish, as usual- so it's not like I've had much free time to write anything more than a few topics until last week. I know some of you were pretty hyped for Chapter 2, but it was really impossible to write 25 pages while having five tests to study for. I'm sorry.**

**Anyways, thank you all guys for the reviews on last chapter- I'm really happy to see you guys like this story, and it greatly motivates me to keep on writing in the near future. Luckily for you guys, Summer Break's almost on the corner for me- so I'll be updating much more frequently AFTER December. **

**That's all I had to say for now, I guess.**

**Alcoholic Pikachu.**

* * *

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, nor any of the characters used in this fanfic._

_Reverse- Chapter 2: Golden Wings._

* * *

_**Viridian Forest**_

'This is torture…' Lying on his open sleeping bag, Ash Ketchum silently stares at the roof of his yellow tent in pure boredom as torrential rain ceaselessly pours down from the skies.

Whispering a silent curse to the Summer monsoons, Ash lets out a long sigh before returning his attention to his Pokédex- _Dexter_\- where he reads a long, detailed article about the hot, dark maze that was Viridian Forest and its complex environment.

Crossed from north to south by the tortuous road known as Route 2, Viridian Forest is a deep, sprawling woodland well-known for being a giant labyrinth where the trees are so dense, only a tiny bit of light can pass through. In such a dark, hot and wet environment, a myriad of Bug type species prospered, including the rarer and more powerful ones such as Pinsir and Venomoth.

Such a large population of Bug types also attracted lots of predators to the region, meaning Pidgeotto and Fearow could be easily found there as well.

There was also an alert for Pikachu, who usually lived in large, nomadic groups at the lighter and airier parts of the forest.

'I wonder if…' For a few seconds, Ash considers catching one of the Electric mice himself- though they couldn't exactly be called strong, Pikachu were unbelievably fast for such a chubby, cute-looking Pokémon. 'No, I guess not.'

As one of Professor Oak's aides, Ash had worked with both Pikachu and their baby form, Pichu. They differed from other Pokémon due to their strong sense of individuality, despite living in communities. Each Pikachu was expected to have a very unique personality, making their line one of the most unpredictable in the entire region. "Heck, I can still remember that prankster Pikachu…"

No, he wouldn't be trying to catch a Pikachu. Not only wasn't he able to predict one's behavior at all, but a Pikachu would be practically helpless in Ash's coming battle against Brock- who mostly used Rock/Ground hybrids like Onix and Geodude. Electricity would be useless against those Pokémon, and Normal type attacks wouldn't even scratch their tough armors.

'Then again, the alternative is a Pinsir…' This, sincerely, didn't feel like a good idea to begin with. Pinsir were too wild and tended to go on rampages, reason why those were rarely seen with trainers. 'Definitely a bad idea…'

Deciding to brush those thoughts aside for the moment, Ash focuses on petting Akane- who naps peacefully by his side- before sparing a brief glance to the sleeping Leaf.

Petting Akane- who's peacefully napping by his side- before sparing a brief glance to the sleeping Leaf, Ash silently wonders why she decided to stay with him- after all, with a Pokémon as tough as Bulbasaur, she could take on Pewter Gym without any real training. Ash, on the other hand…

Then again, he and Leaf had been close friends ever since she moved to Pallet from her former home at the Sevii Islands. Sometimes she was complex, others- just a complete mess- yet still, the bond they shared was strong and the trust in between them, near infinite. 'Hell, she's even sharing a tent with me…a guy…'

He sighs, before going back to his reading.

It is only after three hours, that the rain finally ceases and- after shaking Leaf awake and putting on rubber boots, more suitable for walking on the mud, the duo continues on their joint journey towards Pewter city.

'The rain just came to make everything hotter.' He muses with another sigh, watching as Akane practices a new move- Metal Claw- as he'd told her earlier. While there wasn't any significant progress besides a faint silvery glow to her claws, he was sure she'd have it mastered by the time they got to Pewter. "Keep trying, girl. I'm sure you'll get the gist of it soon!"

"_Charmander!"_ his starter energetically replies, before slashing at a nearby tree with her glowing claws.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"You two sure are enthusiastic." Leaf comments, observing the Charmander practice with interest. "So far so good, Bulbasaur here hasn't needed that much training."

"_Bul."_ As if to confirm his trainer's words, the stout Grass type uses his vines to slash through a bunch of thick tree branches all at once. Needless to say, both Ash and Akane felt a tad bit jealous of his strength.

"Always being the tough guy, huh Bulbasaur?"

"_Bul!"_

It doesn't take very long before they start meeting the annoying Bug Catchers, who had started coming out of whatever holes they hid during storms.

As the name said, Bug Catchers were a class of trainers- usually young kids- who ventured into the maze that was Viridian Forest in order to catch and train the fast-growing Bug type Pokémon. Their teams were usually weak, consisting of mostly Weedle or Caterpie- while the stronger ones had Metapod and Kakuna accompanying them. Some were even accompanied by Beedrill or Butterfree; and those were the best battlers in that place so far.

Since Akane, being a Fire type, had an immense advantage over virtually every Bug type that made the woods its home, the task of battling them fell mostly upon Ash's shoulders. Leaf usually picked the stronger ones as a training for Spearow, who had revealed herself to be quite the little devil in those fights.

A weak drizzle starts to fall from the cloudy skies, as the sun slowly descends into the horizon. Though the drops of water do little besides tapping against the clothes, it is clear both Leaf and Akane are starting to feel uncomfortable under it. "We should set up camp soon."

"Indeed- I remember Dexter telling me something about a clearing a few minutes awa-"

. It is then, that, all of a sudden, a short, dark figure walks out of the woods to the middle of the road, earning a loud squeal from Leaf that would have made a Fearow jealous. Under the fading light of twilight, it takes a bit of time before a tense Ash Ketchum can recognize it as a little kid, dressed in an ancient Kantonese armor and wielding a miniature Katana.

"Gee…that's just a kid." Ash comments with a relieved sigh, though his eyes do not drift off the boy for a second. Was he just waiting there to ambush them? "Don't go jumping out of the woods like that! Leaf here has been scared off ghosts ever since that Haunter pranked her so…"

"Hey! Don't go telling others' embarrassing secrets like that, Ketchum!" Leaf protests with an angry punch to his shoulder. Her glare then turns to the armored kid, who stares at the two in a fighting stance. "Who are you, anyway? You look a tad bit too young to be sneaking up on people like that!"

"Are ye travelers from the southern town of Pallet?" the strange kid inquires, completely ignoring Leaf's question in favor of glaring back at Ash with fire burning in his eyes. It was still quite comical though- as the helmet was way too big for his small head, and leaned to the side whenever he moved.

Also, his archaic way of speaking sounded way too funny. It reminded Ash of the classic poems he was so fond of!

"Yes, we are!" Ash cheerfully replies, ignoring Leaf's wary glare in favor of staring back at the boy. A flash of light to his side, followed by an angry cry, confirmed Spearow had been released. "What of it, though?"

"I see…then, th're is nay choice. My name is Samurai, and I shalt defeat thee and regain my lost honor!"

"What are you even talking about?" A deeply confused Leaf inquires, staring incredulously at the almost absurd scene that unfolded before her very eyes. Ash grinned eagerly, as the boy buried his katana on the mud by his feet before grabbing a Pokéball from his pocket. "Oh, for Pete's sake- unbelievable!"

With a guttural roar, a large, furious Pinsir materializes in the road between them. Leaf's eyes widened to their limits, as she stared at one of the rarest, most powerful Pokémon to be found in the maze that was Viridian Forest. Protected by an armor of extremely hard , organic polymers, the bipedal Bug type is, much like the samurai of medieval Kanto during the Warring States Period, armed to the teeth.

Its strange, gaping mouth is filled with many long, sharp teeth that are arranged in a horizontal manner. At the ends of its arms, there were clawed hands and feet- yet the most impressive weapon at the bug's disposal were its pincers. According to Professor Cedric Juniper's _'Fundaments of Bug Type Anatomy and Physiology'_, a Pinsir's pincers could accumulate great quantities of iron, meaning it had the power to crush, toss, bludgeon, or tear through pretty much anything in its path.

Hence why Pinsir, despite not having any known evolution, were often seen in battles between elite trainers. Even though they were Bug types- thus deemed as weak by most trainers- their sheer power and resilience made them forces to be reckoned with.

Ash's eager grin immediately fades, once his eyes meet the crazed glare of the Bug type. He then looks at Akane, who all but trembles at the sight of such a big, strong-looking Pokémon. "Akane…"

Much to the shock of both him and Leaf, though, the Charmander- instead of hiding behind Ash's legs like she seemed to want to- takes a step forward into the muddy trail. Ketchum can't even describe the feeling of pride that washes over his entire body, as he sees the blaze in her long, slender tail burning stronger, brighter than it'd ever been.

"I see- so you won't back down after all…" Ash comments with a proud smile at his partner. "If that's the case, then let's do this! I accept your challenge, Samurai!"

Before any command can be given by either trainer, Pinsir lunges forward like a maddened beast, its horns clicking like true pincers as it charged up what Ash recognized as Brick Break. Knowing the battle would be over in mere seconds, should Akane engage that beast in close combat, Ash quickly commands her to dodge- which she successfully does with her superior speed. "Now, hit its flanks with Ember! Don't give it time to rest!"

Akane gives him an eager cry of agreement, before waving her tail in Pinsir's direction- sending many drops of burning oil flying towards it. "Atta girl!"

Even though it clearly causes some damage to the armored beast, such an attack is not even close to being enough to put down a Pinsir. Thus, Ash is not surprise when the bug lets out another roar, before its pincers start to glow in an intense blue light. Like a Tauros preparing to strike, it then lowers its head before charging towards Akane once more.

"Hold it, Akane." Ash calmly tells her, even when the little Charmander looks at the approaching Pinsir nervously. When Pinsir's just a couple feet away from hitting her, Ash then gives her his next command. "Get under it!"

Reacting with the speed of a female Charmander, Akane slides under the approaching bug's legs with ease- though barely managing to dodge its horns. "Metal Claw! Cut it down!"

Both Ash and Leaf can only grin as Akane's claws are surrounded by a familiar silver aura, before she delivers a powerful slash right to Pinsir's left leg- making the large bug actually stumble and crash into the tree line behind her.

Though the attack wasn't nearly as strong as a fully charged Metal Claw, in fact, it was more like a very strong Scratch than anything; it still managed to deal some good damage. A young Pinsir's carapace wasn't as resistant as the armor an older member of the species had, thus, Akane's Metal Claw manage to dig deep into the bug's flesh- its left leg was near useless now, and the Pinsir was forced to kneel down else risk collapsing under its own weight.

Only then, does Ash notice Samurai had yet to give Pinsir an order. In fact, the boy seemed content to simply stay back and watch- almost as if…

'That's it…' Red couldn't believe how he failed to notice it before- of course Samurai wouldn't give Pinsir any orders. In fact, Samurai didn't have any form of control over Pinsir- at all. 'Of course, he's far too young and inexperienced to handle such a temperamental Pokémon.'

This would make things much easier for the Pallet rookie. Though its power was impressive, Pinsir fought like a berserker- a mindless beast, seeking the complete destruction of its opponent before all else. It lacked tactics, it lacked strategy, it lacked reason- therefore, he could be easily put down by a weaker, yet smarter opponent.

"We're winning this, Akane! Use Ember!" Ash enthusiastically orders, as his partner shakes her tail again and again- raining drops of burning oil down on the helpless Pinsir. Though they didn't even compare to the flames of a fully grown Charizard, Akane's embers did provide just enough energy to start overheating Pinsir's carapace. 'Bug types may have strong armors, but that turns against them once things start getting hot…'

However, Pinsir wasn't done yet.

"Watch out, Red!" Leaf's warning falls on deaf ears, as Ash's eyes almost jump off their sockets in pure shock; the teen being only able to watch as the crazed Bug type starts charging up an absolutely massive amount of energy between its pincers before firing it all in a single, purple-black beam.

Red doesn't even have the time to shout out a warning to his starter before the obviously imperfect- but still quite powerful- Hyper Beam slams into her like a subway train.

"Ash, wait!" Leaf actually has to grab him by the hand, before a panicking Ash nearly jumps into the dense cloud of smoke and dust that forms around the spot the attack had hit his starter. A hundred emotions flooded his body, as his eyes looked for his missing starter to no avail. "Bulbasaur, help Akane! The Hyper Beam must have pushed her into the woods, there's no way she could have-"

Before Green can even finish her sentence, the darkening forest is set alight, as a torrent of turbulent, orange flames is released towards the kneeling Pinsir like the spear of an angry god. In the blink of an eye, the Bug type's body is completely engulfed by the wild fire; so hot, even at distance it manages to burn the hairs of Ash's arms.

And there, standing in the middle of a tiny inferno as the smoke dissipates, is Akane. Instead of the timid, gentle Charmander, though, the Lizard bathed by the flames looked like a completely different creature. Her polka dot ribbon was completely gone, and her eyes glowed with unparalleled wrath- as wild and intense as the fire around her. 'Her tail…so this is the power of Blaze!'

Pinsir's ear-piercing shrieks of pain echo through the woods, before Samurai finally gets over his shock and recalls it in growing panic. In fact, the little boy seems on the verge of tears. Exhausted, hurt, and with her energy completely drained by such a powerful attack, Akane collapses- and Ash immediately recalls her before whispering a silent 'Thank You' to her Pokéball.

"Ash!" Leaf runs up to him, worried, before Ash reassures her with a warm smile. He's just about to pull out a few Potions and Burn Heals to heal their Pokémon, when an eerie buzzing sound makes itself heard in the dark.

'This sound…could it be?!'

As the flames Akane had set up start to slowly spread to the trees in the principles of a small forest fire, a swarm of Beedrill- led by a clearly furious Queen- flies out of the woods. The bugs only get noisier and noisier once they see the trainers, their stings pointing at them menacingly.

"Damn…" Ever the protective fellow, Bulbasaur had already jumped in front of the two trainers- putting himself as a barrier between them and the ravenous hive. Samurai himself- seemingly getting over his shock at Pinsir's defeat- had released two weak-looking Weedle from his remaining Pokéballs, while an increasingly angry Spearow circled above their heads. "This is bad."

Though they were relatively weak when fighting alone, Beedrill could be deadly when they came in swarms- mercilessly assaulting their opponents in wave after wave of attacks. Queens were actually quite powerful, though they rarely left unless they felt the hive was in danger. 'And we just happen to have run into one.'

According to one of the books Professor Oak had lent him, Beedrill differed from the other Pokémon in their way of life- there was no such thing as individual will in a group of Beedrill, instead, all consciousness belonged to the entity known as the Hive. Queens were the leaders- and, overall, most 'intelligent- members of a Beedrill hive, while also being the mothers of most, if not all, of the Worker and Drone Beedrill in her colony.

Unlike the usual Beedrill, Queens were larger- being at least double the size of a worker- and had a pointed abdomen, with their six (instead of four) legs being splayed outwards. Not only that, but a Queen's stings were smooth like actual needles, instead of barbed like a worker's.

"Leaf…" Is the only thing Ash can say, as he feels his friend's hand interlocking with his own. A brief glance could tell she was scared, though was doing her best to stay strong. "I'm not asking you to leave. I know you wouldn't do it anyway."

"You know me well then, Red~" Leaf replied with a sly grin. Her hand then left his, and she nodded at his bag. "Go and heal Akane. Bulbasaur, Spearow and I will try to hold them back as well as we can."

"Very well. I'm counting on you, Green!"

As the Queen orders her drones to charge with their needles raised high, Bulbasaur doesn't even need a command to spring into action: the stout Grass type almost immediately called for a storm of glowing, green leaves that spun around its little body like a true tornado. The Beedrill's mad charge was cut short, as they were met with the full force of Leaf Storm, one of the most powerful Grass type moves in existence.

"Yes! Get 'em, Bulbasaur!"

As much as he wanted to admire the effects of such move, however imperfect it was, Ash still had work to do. Taking off his jacket and placing it on the muddy ground, the teen releases a near-unconscious Akane onto it- ignoring the fact her tail almost immediately starts burning the cotton- before starting with his treatment.

'Let's see…'First, he applies some cold water onto the mild burns all over her body, before cleaning them with alcohol 70%. Akane actually winces when he does so, though he reassures her with a warm smile. "You did great, girl. Just a little bit more…"

Remembering his training as one of the Professor's aides, Ash then applied some Antidote in order to stimulate the Immune System, before using a syringe to inject one of his stronger Potions right into her cubital vein, which was easy to see and puncture.

Antidotes had a very distinct way of acting in Pokémon; in synthesis, those were way less specific than the remedies applied in poisoned humans. Pokémon Antidotes worked by stimulating a general immune response mediated by type 2 T- Helper lymphocytes, thus releasing a lot of antibodies against extracellular pathogens such as bacteria and protozoa.

With Akane stable, Ash then returns his attention to the battle around him: many Beedrill had been knocked out by the combined efforts of Bulbasaur, whose storm seemed to have taken a toll on him; and then, there was Spearow, who looked clearly hurt, but still fought on with fierceness. Samurai's pair of Weedle was also helping, much to Ash's surprise, by imprisoning a few of the Beedrill with String Shot.

'Even then…' Despite all that, the hive still managed to overwhelm them. There were simply too many Beedrill, and even Bulbasaur wasn't strong enough to hold them back for too long. In fact, the Grass type seemed to have taken the most damage of them all- his body bruised, cut and stabbed by multiple needles.

Yet, he refused to go down- whipping back at any approaching Beedrill with weakening vines.

"Are you done there, Ash?" Leaf inquires worriedly, looking up to see Spearow recklessly ramming into one of the Workers- before immediately starting to peck another one with its sharp beak. "That thing has yet to join the fray, and I'm not sure we can beat it."

Indeed, while the workers never stopped their advance towards them- the Beedrill Queen seemed content to just stay back and lead them from the rear, instead of taking them head on. Then again, a Beedrill Queen wasn't like an alpha Pinsir or Scyther- who constantly needed to prove himself in combat.

"Akane needs to rest, and I don't have any other Pokémon with me. Samurai!"

"Y-Yes!" the kid replies nervously, dodging a needle that passed dangerously close to his helmet.

"I'm going to cover for you and Leaf, so at my sign- you two are going to ru-"

And it is only then, that an ear-piercing screech makes itself heard in the darkening skies above them, and the three trainers look up to see the immense silhouette of a Pidgeot descending onto the fray like lightning in a storm. Under the faint light of the dying flames, the bird's beautiful feathers glint like polished gold.

When their eyes meet, Ash instantly realizes this Pokémon was far beyond their level.

"What?!" Is all both him and Leaf can say, as they can only watch the great bird brutally slam into the Beedrill Queen with Steel Wing, knocking her onto a nearby tree with such force, they can hear the wood crack.

"Hey, you two!" Samurai is the one to break them out of their shock, the boy rushing towards them with his miniature blade sheathed. "We're seriously 5000% dead! We need to run, now!"

"Oh, so you can talk normally, kiddo!" Leaf rebukes, before grabbing Ash's arm and pulling. "Okay, Ashy-boy. It's time for a tactical retreat!"

"Wait." Red says in an abnormally calm tone, making Leaf's grip on him instinctively tighten. He takes his eyes off the scene of Pidgeot tossing the Queen up with its powerful beak to meet her shocked gaze. "Take a better look at that Pidgeot- what do you see?"

"A giant golden bird?" the girl practically hisses back, before pulling once more. "Come on, Ketchum. Now it's not the time for this!"

Before the Beedrill Queen can even react, Pidgeot forms two blades of wind in its wings- ignoring the approaching swarm in favor of finishing their leader off with the most powerful Air Slash Ketchum had ever seen.

Yet the great bird is far from done yet, as the entirety of the Hive turns to attack it with murderous intent, Pidgeot flies in between their lines with an impossibly fast Quick Attack- knocking several of the workers out in the process- before finally performing a perfect U-Turn right there in the air and flapping its massive wings: releasing such a powerful whirlwind, all the bugs are pushed back into the woods.

Needless to say, none of them gets back up.

Pidgeot then graciously lands on the ground by Ash's side, and the teen can't help but notice how big the Flying type really is. Both he and Gary were considered impressively tall for their ages, but Pidgeot still manages to stand at least two feet taller than him- and the width of its wings. 'Simply wow…'

"Well, there we are. Bird food." Leaf comments with a sigh. Ash ignores her, though, in favor of staring back at the Pokémon's crimson eyes- and he could say in quite the poetical manner, he saw no ill intent in them. "I swear, Ashy-boy. If we survive this, we're having a talk."

"Thank you for helping us out, Pidgeot." Ash replies with a grin, though his voice tone has nothing but respect. "If there's anything we can do to repay the favor…"

As a response, the bird merely coos, before nodding at the slowly recovering Akane, the wounded Bulbasaur and the roughened up Spearow- who had lost a good part of her wings' feathers. Pidgeot then bends forwards, and Ash finally gets the message. "Do you want me to…ride you?"

Pidgeot coos back at him, before nodding. Not even thinking twice at the prospect, Ash carefully hops back onto the massive Flying type's back, holding onto its neck as Pidgeot adjusts itself.

"Wait- what?! Are you just going to leave us here, Ash?!" Leaf inquires, to which Ash simply smiles before signing her to hop on. "Okay, okay, fine…I'll do it."

As a matter of fact, Leaf Green didn't like large birds. When she still lived with her parents at Knot Island, a wild Fearow tried to attack her while she was playing with her mother's Dunsparce at the backyard of their house. Needless to say, it wasn't a pleasing experience- and it led to her developing a strong dislike for any flying type larger than the average Pidgey.

"Are you alright?" Ketchum inquires, looking back to see a pale Leaf holding onto his back as if her life depended on it. "I can always hold you if you feel like you're going to fall."

"I'm…I'm fine! Thanks!" Seeing the usually mature and teasing Leaf like this was…amusing, at least in Ash's point of view. He wondered how she'd react once Spearow finally evolved into a Fearow. "What about Samurai, though? W-We can't just leave him here."

"Oh, kind of forgot him for a moment. Hmmm…hey, Pidgeot…" Ash inquires, making the bird whip its head backwards to look at him. "Can you carry him with your talons?"

Pidgeot's response to this is to simply flap its immensely wide wings, not giving Samurai even a chance to react before its talons wrap around the little boy's padded shoulders. Needless to say, the boy kicks and protests but- after what had just happened- neither Ash, nor Leaf could bring themselves to care.

"This is going to be awesome."

With another flap of its powerful wings, Pidgeot takes off towards Pewter City. Its screech was only matched in magnitude, by the scared yelling of a certain child swordsman.

* * *

_**Pewter City**_

"Welcome to our Pokémon Cen-" Nurse Joy's kind greeting freezes in her mouth the moment she lands her eyes on the three battered, dirty trainers that had just walked through the front door of Pewter City's Pokémon Center. "M-My goodness, what happened to you?!"

"Let's just say we had a rough evening!" Ash jokes with a flashy smile, before tapping his Pokédex at the ID scanner on the counter. "Anyways, I think we need your help, Nurse Joy."

"Rough is quite the euphemism for what happened back in the forest." Leaf comments with a sigh, doing the same with her own Dex before placing both her Pokéballs at a basket- handed to her by a helpful Chansey. "We were attacked by a swarm of wild Beedrilll, so our Pokémon might need some healing."

Not that any of them had been gravely wounded by the Bugs- even Bulbasaur, who had taken the most damage out of everyone in the fight, had but a few cuts caused by the Beedrilll's stings.

"I-I see…" the nurse nervously replies. "In that case, Chansey- could you…"

"_Chansii~" _the Normal type replies, cheerfully as usual, accepting Akane's Pokéball from Ash and Pinsir's from Samurai before walking into a room to the back.

"We'd also like to book a room for two." Leaf says with a tired sigh- sparing a glance at Ash before continuing. "My name is Leaf Green, this goof here is Ash Ketchum."

"Right, right! Just a moment please…" Finally getting over her shock, Nurse Joy quickly accesses the panel- furiously typing a few numbers before a clicking sound makes itself heard. "All done, Ms. Green, Mr. Ketchum. I've reserved room 103 to you. I hope you enjoy your stay~"

"Thanks." Leaf replies, all but snatching the keys from the nurse's hand before giving Ash a mean look. "I'm going up first. I reeeally need a shower now, so you deal with the kid there."

"Cranky, aren't you?" Ash teases back as the girl rushes upstairs, before turning his gaze to Samurai- who was fiddling nervously by the counter. "Can you wait for a bit? I need to talk to someone first."

"Most certainly, Ketchum_-dono_." The little boy replies with an eager nod.

'Here it goes…archaic again. Well, whatever.' With a mental shrug, Ash casually makes his way back to the entrance of the Pokémon Center- a wave of cold, wet air hitting him as soon as he steps out through the automatic doors.

There, perched on the thickest branch of a lone, black cherry tree- in the middle of an empty, brick-paved plaza, Pidgeot waits for him. Golden eyes meet blood crimson, as boy and bird measure each other's presences. No words are said; no words are needed.

Giving him one last silent, acknowledging nod, the mighty bird flaps its immense wings and takes off. With a smirk, Ash follows it with his eyes until the golden Pidgeot disappears in the night sky.

To Ketchum, it was an omen- a message from the old gods of Kanto, the winged mirages that ruled over the heavens and earth, that they were looking after him.

'And now- to see what fate holds for me.'

* * *

"So…is this the right place?"

Standing by the large wooden gateway of a traditional Kantonese manor, both Ash and Leaf have their eyes locked on the screen of Ash's Pokédex- _Dexter_\- where the GPS depicts a blinking red dot in their location.

"I think so…" Leaf rebukes, clearly impressed as she eyes their surroundings. Dotted with fruit trees that bring shade and freshness, the neighborhood they're in is clearly high-class. "I never thought that kid was rich, though. What are his parents even doing?"

"Well, we are used to worse." He states with a snicker, making a clear reference to a certain friend of theirs. "Anyways, I think we should call-"

"S'rry to make thou wait, Ketchum-_dono_, Green_-ojou_!" Just as Ash is about to pick up his Pokégear, the massive wooden gates spring open, and a familiar black-haired grade schooler welcomes them with a wide smile. "Welcometh to my own residence!"

"Wow- really?" Green replies with cocked brows. Needless to say, Samurai's archaic way of speaking got on her nerves. That boy had put them through enough trouble for a lifetime already.

"C'mon Leaf, they're even inviting us for breakfast. Sure his parents are sorry for what happened." Ketchum whispered back as they followed Samurai through the meandering pathways of a beautiful sand garden.

Depicting an abundance of bright colored, decorative carving; white paper panels and exaggerated curving of the roofs the manor was a perfect example of opulence so characteristic of Pewter's Miyamoto era- during which the city reached the apex of its power, wealth and influence.

"Our guests have arrived, Father, Mother!"

They step into a large, open room- which had an opening to the back that gave them full view of a small flower garden. There, sitting on their feet by a long table, are a man and a woman- both black of hair and eyes. Dressed in black kimonos, the couple has an aristocratic, traditional air in them; like they had come directly from the Warring States era.

"Greetings, Mr. Ketchum, Ms. Green." The couple greets in unison, sending a flinch up Ash's spine- that was creepy in an indescribable way. "We're glad to see you've accepted our invitation. Please, help yourselves."

What followed was what both Ash and Leaf could describe as the best meal they've had in ages. Breaking the Kantonese tradition of frugality, Samurai's parents had all kinds of delicacies at their table- including grilled Magikarp, fermented soybeans, seasoned dried seaweed and even rice balls. Even their freshly recovered Pokémon were given only the best rations and berries.

After a most substantial meal, the rookie trainers had a small talk with Samurai's parents- during which they apologized for the problems their son had caused, and offered them gifts as compensation.

They insisted a lot, so the two ended up taking them: Ash received a silky, bright pink Kalosian ribbon for Akane- a replacement for the one destroyed when she used Blaze against Pinsir- and a large, beautiful piece of amber while Leaf received an item called a Macho Brace, which would help train Bulbasaur's strength.

"Well…all that trouble was actually worth it, I guess." Ash jests, as they step out through the gateways. Akane and Bulbasaur stood by their trainer's feet, admiring their new gifts. "I mean, at least they treated us to some food!"

"Gee, you're really cheap to be bought off like that." Leaf comments with a mocking scoff, before her expression changes to a smile. "So- what are you planning to do now? I think I'm going to visit the museum now so…"

"_Dexter_ told me the hills around Pewter are a really _awesome_ place. Lots of trees, cool sights and calm spots to train." Ketchum enthusiastically replies, before looking down at Akane. "What do you say, girl? Wanna go explore a bit?"

"_Char, Char!"_ the Fire type replies with an eager nod.

"Alright- to the hills it is then! Sorry, Leaf- after eating so much, I'm in the mood for some action."

"No problem. I'll see you at the Pokémon Center then~"

They share a high-five, before each goes their own way. It takes him about an hour of walking, but Ash and Akane eventually find themselves a nice, hidden valley between two rocky hills. A few feet below their stone platform, a crystal clear stream ran peacefully through a dense cedar forest.

"Alright, girl- let's do this! Metal Claw!"

Though she had yet to fully recover from that Hyper Beam from Samurai's mad beast of a Pinsir, Akane still had enough energy in her to deliver a series of powerful slashes to a couple of rocks at the hillside. With a metallic glint, her claws cut through the stone as if it were butter.

'She aced it.' Needless to say, Ash was proud of his little partner. Although she still has a long way to go before she becomes the strongest, the Charmander clearly had it in her. "You did it, Akane! That was a perfect Metal Claw!"

"_Char?"_

"Yeah- you did it, girl." The teenager replies with a flashy smile, before the Fire type jumps onto him for a hug. Her tail flame flickers wildly from side to side ,as she gives his face a few licks. "Seems like you're quite happy too huh?"

"Indeed! Your Pokémon seems to like you a lot!"

Turning back on his heels, Ketchum's eyes land on a tall, lean, yet very muscular, young man in his early twenties; like most of Pewter's citizens, he has a slightly tanned skin due to many hours spent under the scorching sun, and his spiky hair is of a dark brown tone. He's dressed on a loose, bright yellow cotton shirt and baggy cargo pants- an attire which he completes with a pair of simple leather boots.

"She does indeed." Ash replies in a casual tone, as the man walks up to him with a friendly smile. "Anyways, the name's Ash, Ash Ketchum- though people often call me Red."

"Brock Takeshi." The older man calmly replies, taking the offered hand and giving it a solid shake. Almost immediately, Ketchum's eyes glint in recognition- and the man continues with a grin. "I'm Pewter City's Gym Leader, nice to meet you, Ash."

"Talk about a coincidence- we were just training to battle you!" Red states with a smirk wider than ever. Akane eyes the man inquisitively, clearly confused by her trainer's sudden excitement, before shrugging it off with a yawn. "I never thought I'd meet a Gym Leader here though."

"Let's just say there's a rather troublesome group of Electric type Pokémon in the area; Officer Jenny asked me to capture their leader, so they can actually disband." Brock replies with a tired sigh. "Besides- this is one of the best spots in the area to either train or relax. I figured I'd find their hiding somewhere around here."

"Well, that sounds quite troublesome."

"That's a Gym Leader's duty, so it's not like I can complain…" Shrugging, Brock then grabs a Pokéball from one of his pockets- pressing the capture button to make it expand. "Tell you what? Watching you train got me in the mood for a battle, and it just happens one of my new Pokémon needs some training. What do you say?"

"Oh yeah, bring it on!" Pumping his fist, Ash gently puts Akane down on the ground as Brock releases a Rhyhorn by his side. Though it clearly is small, being about half the usual size for the species, the Ground/Rock hybrid still looks quite confident. "A baby Rhyhorn?"

"Yeah. I captured him a few days after a flock passed by." The young Gym Leader explains, petting the large beast's head for a bit. In response, Rhyhorn gently butts her head against his leg- though if Brock's wince was anything to go by, it must have left quite the bruise. "Ouch."

To put it in simple terms, a Rhyhorn is like a war tank- it's strong, stupid, armored, and will probably smash through whatever obstacle there is in its way.

Ash doesn't even need to use _Dexter _to know that- five years as Professor Oak's aide have given him much experience with the species, which could be ridden at a trainer's own risk. With bones 1000 times harder than a human's, and covered in extremely hard plates of rocky armors, the Spikes Pokémon was probably the reason why Kanto's famed Samurai almost never used shields.

No shield wall could possibly stand the weight of hundreds of pounds of muscle and stone.

"Well, let's get this started! Horn attack!"

Letting out a loud roar, the Rhyhorn lowers his head and charges- though he is faster than what was usually expected for the species, probably because his armor had yet to fully develop, the Rock type was still painfully slow if compared to Akane. And Ketchum was certainly going to use that to his advantage.

"Dodge- then use Ember." Not wanting to reveal all his tricks to the Gym Leader, Ash calmly gives Akane his orders- and watches with a grin, as she easily steps to the side seconds before Rhyhorn came crashing in her direction. Drops of burning oil cut to the air towards the bulky hybrid. 'Not that it did much, though.'

"Again!" Brock orders with a wide grin. The older man was clearly having his dose of fun, even in a low-level battle like this.

"Jump and counter it with Metal Claw!" Yet again, Rhyhorn roars, before charging once more- this time, however, Akane was ready. In an impressive display of speed, the female Charmander jumps up the beast's spine from a large rock, before starting to mercilessly assault it with glowing white claws. "Keep up the pressure, girl!"

"_Char!"_

A Rhyhorn's brain was incredibly small and primitive, so whatever commands Brock could give were completely ignored in favor of thrashing about- trying to throw its much smaller and agile assailant off its back.

"Now, Akane, use Flamethrower between its plates!"

Although a Rhyhorn's armor of rocky plates made it near invulnerable to Fire type attacks, the heat was a whole other story: while the rock could and would retain- and quickly expel- most of the heat coming from the outside, the same wasn't true for the energy coming from inside it. In synthesis, if the flames penetrated through the breaches in between the plates, the same armor that made Rhyhorn a powerhouse, turned it into a walking oven.

"That was a clever move." Brock comments with a snicker, as he recalls the panicking Pokémon. "You're very knowledgeable about Pokémon. It's rare to see trainers who could defeat a Rhyhorn so easily, especially with a Fire type."

"It worked because your Rhyhorn was a baby." Adult Rhyhorn were not only much more resilient, but had most of their plates fused- much like an adult human's skull. Not only that, but climbing up an adult's back during battle would be outright suicide- Akane would be easily tossed off and stomped, or stabbed by the spines on its back. "Thanks for the compliment, though."

"_Char~"_ Akane cheerfully cries, before jumping up his arms for another hug. With a warm smile, Ash pets her head affectionately. "You did great, girl. I'm proud of you."

"Well- a battle is a battle, and since I'm a Gym Leader, I figured I should give you this." Brock then shows him a small, grayish, metallic object- shaped so its form would resemble a boulder. The teen's eyes widen when he recognizes a Badge, a symbol of a trainer's victory over a certain Gym. "This is the official Boulder Badge, a proof of your victory. Now, if you only lend me your Trainer Card…"

"Wait! Hold on, hold on!"

"What? Is something wrong? I can always get you another one at the Gy-"

"It's not about the badge, man." Ash cuts him short with a sigh, adjusting his arms so Akane can stay comfortable before continuing. "This wasn't even an official Gym Battle, you and I were clearly holding back."

"Yes, that's true. But still, it doesn't change the fact that…"

"I won a battle against a Gym Leader, I'm aware of that." Ketchum then grins, making the older man cock his brows in interrogations. "Yet- where would all the fun be if I took your badge? Me and Akane plan to become the strongest in the region, so it wouldn't do us any good to skip a step."

An image of Leaf then comes to mind.

"Besides, my friend also wants to challenge you tomorrow. I'd rather have us do this together."

"I see…" the Gym Leader rebukes in a wondering tone, before finally giving him a warm smile. "You must be the weirdest trainer I've met in many moons- I'll give you that. Very well, I'll be waiting for you tomorrow then, Ash Ketchum."

"You won't be disappointed, Brock Takeshi."

With one last respectful handshake, the Gym Leader leaves- walking back to the city through a rocky shortcut the rookie had failed to notice earlier. 'I'll make use of that later.'

Feeling really tired all of a sudden, Red climbs up a narrow trail and sits down by the edge of a large volcanic stone. Petting Akane's warm belly as she dozes off on his lap, the trainer takes his time to admire the vast sea of trees that dominated the valleys in between the hills and mountains- his mind empty of worries and fears. Though it shared a very similar background to its 'sister' region Johto and, to some extent, distant Hoenn to the south- the Kanto region actually managed to find the balance between nature and mankind.

Most of the region's population concentrated in areas relatively close to the sea, while the more continental parts of Kanto were sparsely populated. There were many reasons for that, though the most important was the fact that the majority of Pokémon got really aggressive whenever their habitats were threatened- add the fact that some of those have power to level a small town, and one had a good reason to preserve their environment.

'Not that is a bad thing, though…' Ash mused, before looking down to meet the eyes of Akane- who was giving him an odd look. "So, are you confident for tomorrow?"

"_Charmander!"_

"Heh, I'm happy to hear that!" The little incident with the Beedrill didn't have as much of an effect on his partner's rather delicate personality as he expected. Then again, Akane was practically unconscious through most of it. 'Both of us, we need to get stronger- not only to protect ourselves, but the ones we care about too.'

Though everything was in the past now, it didn't necessarily mean Ash would forget that incident anytime soon. It just served to show that, though they were still very far from their objective.

"Well, back to training, I guess. What do you say, girl?"

"_Char!"_

Few hours later, and the duo find themselves having a late afternoon under the shadow of a verdant cedar- the teen relishing on the simple, yet still magnificent, taste of pure rice with olive oil, while the Charmander ate some raw Magikarp cubes sauced with Cheri berries. To say they'd been working hard would have been a euphemism.

With Metal Claw - a move which, as proved in the battle against Rhyhorn, could give them the edge in their first official Gym Battle- finally mastered, Ash decided to start working on a combination of two moves: Smokescreen and Ember. He named it 'Brazier', a name Akane herself chose.

It wasn't a really complex technique: if anything, the attack merely consisted in covering a large area with smoke, before carpet bombing it with the burning drops of flammable oil that formed Ember. 'Still, quite useful to distract the opponent for enough time…'

After all, while Akane did- in fact- learn the extremely powerful Flamethrower while under the effects of Blaze, her use of the move was very limited. Her body was way too small and underdeveloped to properly control such a hot stream of flames, so they'd probably need to wait until she evolved before adding it to the book of tricks.

'I wonder how strong she'll be once she becomes a Charmale- whoa!'

Before he can even finish up his thoughts, a stray electric shock hits the wood barely inches above Akane's head. Trainer and Charmander react almost instantly, rolling to the side quickly enough to avoid another Thundershock.

"What in the actual…" Turning his gaze in the direction of the attacks, Ash's eyes land on a small, yellow Pokémon whose round body was marked by a pair of black stripes- which seemed to be completed by the ones in its arms. It had two horns on top of its head, which resembled the prongs of a plug, complete with holes in their sides "…for real?! An Elekid?!"

Though they weren't considered native to Kanto in official records, Elekid were- in fact- the baby form of the infamously temperamental Electabuzz, which, though not common, could still be found near power plants such as the ones in Pewter and Cerulean. 'Still, I've never even seen one this close before…'

Not giving him any time to think, Elekid dashes towards Akane with a predatory grin on its face- the Charmander manages to block the Quick Attack with her own Metal Claw, though, before spitting embers right to Elekid's face.

However, Elekid wouldn't just pull back this easily- even with its eyes closed, it still manages to deliver a solid kick on Akane's legs, putting her off balance and sending her to the ground before trying to attack her with Dynamic Punch.

"Roll to the side, Akane!" As if Ash would let it! Snapping out of her shock thanks to her trainer's scream, the Charmander is able to roll to the side just in time for the attack to miss. "Flamethrower, now! Push it back!"

A torrent of flames explodes out of Akane's mouth, as she unleashes one of the best Fire type moves right to the wild Elekid's face. Even though it manages to block a bit of it with its arms, the Electric type still takes the full power of the attack at point blank range.

"Keep it up, girl! Brazier!" As the strain of keeping up such powerful move finally started to get his partner, Ash decided to go for another strategy- and watched with a grin as Elekid madly fired Thundershock after Thundershock in a crazed attempt to hit the Charmander. "Yes, that's it! Wait, wha-"

"_Char!" _Charmander's pained squeal sends a shiver up his spine, as he sees her flying out of the cover of Smokescreen right onto the ground before his feet. Elekid soon follows- its body charred and burned- yet it still kept on fighting, ruthlessly slamming her with yet another Dynamic Punch before Ketchum finally snapped. "You can do this, Akane! Again, Flamethrower!"

And, this time, they had the full might of both Blaze and Solar Power backing them up.

The grass under Elekid's feet is burnt to ashes, as flames hot enough to make hellfire pale in comparison bathe the entirety of its being in a blazing inferno. 'Okay…maybe I'm being a bit too poetic?'

"Anyways…" That Elekid was clearly something else- never had Ash seen a baby Pokémon fight so fiercely, and with great skill nonetheless. Making up a quick decision, the teen picks one of the empty Pokéballs from his belt with a grin. "I simply cannot let an opportunity like that go."

In a single smooth motion, the device is tossed up in the air- hitting the fainted Electric type just as the fire starts to die out. In a flash of bright white light, the Pokéball sucks Elekid in; shaking three times before finally letting out a loud click, signaling a successful capture.

"Well…I guess things have just become way more interesting for us two, haven't they girl?"

"…_Char?"_

And with that, the two slowly start making their way back to Pewter- an odd glow to their faces as they walk under the fading light of sunset.

* * *

_**Chapter End**_

**A/N: So…how was it? Did you like this chapter?**

**I opted to cut it short with the capture of Elekid, so I don't cram too much info into a single chapter. Doing this kind of destroys the progression of a story, which is something I really don't want to do with this.**

**A big shout out to the guest known as 'Professor Seanic'- for publishing his writing tips on a review for the story called Uprising. It actually helped me quite a lot when building up the 'skeleton' for Reverse out of Ascension's bones.**

**That's it for now, I guess. See you guys on the next chapter.**

**Alcoholic Pikachu**


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